{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O131268"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O131268/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AP0640/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AP0640/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AP0640","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BP7385","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2007BP7377","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AP0639","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JX8695","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O131268/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O131268","accessionNumber":"437-1895","objectType":"Sceptre","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Monumental <i>Uas</i> (ritual sceptre or staff) in blue-green turquoise-glazed composition or faience. The sceptre bears the head of the animal of the God Seth, and originally had two arms at acute angles (now broken off at the elbows), which may have held a standard or been raised in adoration. The sceptre terminates in a pair of vestigial legs.\n\nThe body of the sceptre is painted in black with vertical bands, pear-shaped dots and diaper ornament on the arms, and a central vertical inscription bearing the full titulary of Amenhotep II. Two further cartouches also bear his name.\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Glazed composition with painted decoration","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"},{"text":"Africa","id":"THES49019"}],"styles":[{"text":"Egyptian","id":"AAT20251"},{"text":"New Kingdom","id":"AAT20353"},{"text":"Eighteenth Dynasty","id":"AAT20355"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"CER","id":"THES48594"},"images":["2006AP0640","2007BP7385","2007BP7377","2006AP0639","2017JX8695"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"145 (VA)","id":"THES49865"},"free":"","case":"45","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"sceptres","id":"AAT214161"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Egypt","id":"x29512"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Naqada","id":"THES289103"},"association":{"text":"found","id":"x42575"},"note":"Found in the temple of the God Seth, Lord of Nubt"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"c. 1427 BC - c. 1401 BC","earliest":"-1432-01-01","latest":"-1397-01-01"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Dating based on cartouches of Amenhotep II "}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by H.M. Kennard, Esq. (through Prof. Flinders Petrie, University College, London)","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Weight","value":"65.0","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"215.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"25.0","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"48.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Royal titulary\n\nAa.kheperu.ra, Amenhetep (Cartouche I). Neter.heq.uast (Cartouche II). Horus, Strong Bull, Possessor of Might, Heir of the Two Ladies i.e. the patron goddesses of the north and south, crowned in Thebes…King of the North and South, Ankheperura Son of the Sun, Amenhotep, Divine Ruler of Thebes, May he live like Ra for ever! (central vertical inscription). ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Prof. W.M. Flinders Petrie DCL found the Uas in multiple fragments in 1894, during excavations of he temple of the god Seth, Lord of Nubt, in Naqada region (Greek: Ombos; modern name: Tukh) opposite Koptos (Quft), Upper Egypt. This temple was built by Thutmose I (Greek:Tuthmosis I).  H. Martyn Kennard, who presented the <i>Uas</i> to the Museum, was Petrie's financial backer at the time.\n\nAmenhotep II was renowned as a good horseman and fast rower. The first nine years of his reign were spent in military campaigns asserting Egyptian power over revolts in vassal states. Peace and prosperity attended the remainder of his reign in which he occupied himself with temple building.\r\n\r\n","historicalContext":"The<i> Uas</i> was an item of temple equipment. It was a kind of sceptre usually shown placed in the hands of gods as a symbol of their might. The hieroglyphic sign which looks like this sceptre equates to the Egyptian word <i>w3s </i>meaning 'power'. The object and sign also occur as an iconographic emblem and as an amulet of power that could be worn. In certain contexts, usually in relief, but also here, the staff itself has hands and arms.   ","briefDescription":"Ritual <i>Uas</i> sceptre, blue-green glazed composition or faience, Naqada, Egypt, New Kingdom, Dynasty Eighteen, reign of Amenhotep II","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Liefkes, Reino and Hilary Young (eds.) <i>Masterpieces of World Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum</i>. London: V&A Publishing, 2008","id":"AUTH354348"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Cairo, Musée des Antiquités egyptiennes, Catalogue général "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"W.M.F. Petrie and J.E. Quibell, 'Naqada and Ballas', London, 1896"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"W.M.F. Petrie, Koptos, 1896"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Lexikon der Aegyptologie, Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz, 1972"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"W.M.F. Petrie, 'Arts and Crafts of Ancient Egypt', 1909"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"W.M.F. Petrie, 'History of Egypt', 1896"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Henry Wallis, 'Egyptian Ceramic Art: the MacGregor Collection', London, 1898"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"W.C. Hayes, 'The sceptre of Egypt', New York, 1953"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Graham Parlett in Friends of the Petrie Museum Newsletter, 1997"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Richard Parkinson, 'Cracking Codes: The Rosetta Stone and Decipherment', British Museum, London, 1999"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Barbara Adams, 'Petrie's Manuscript Notes on the Koptos Foundation Deposits of Tuthmosis III' in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 61, 1975"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Barbara Adams, 'Egyptian Objects in the V&A Museum', in Egyptology Today, no.3, 1977"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Barbara Adams, 'Egyptian Objects in the V&A Museum', 1978"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"L. McNaught, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology review, 69, 1983"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Barbara Adams, 'Sculptured pottery from Koptos in the Petrie Collection', 1986"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Monumental sceptre, Egypt,1427–1400 BC\n\r\nThe huge sceptre is the largest known example of ancient Egyptian faience.\r\nComposed of powdered quartz rather than clay, faience was moulded or modelled by hand.\nIt was the first material to have a glaze, here coloured turquoise by the addition of copper.\r\nThe sceptre, a symbol of divine power, was found in fragments in a temple.\r\nIts animal head probably represents the god Seth.\r\nComposition with alkaline glaze (faience).\nInscription naming pharaoh Amenhotep II (ruled 1427–1400 BC)\n\r\nMuseum no. 437-1895\r\nGiven by H.M. Kennard, Esq. through Prof. Flinders Petrie, University College, London\r\n","date":{"text":"11/09/2009","earliest":"2009-09-11","latest":"2009-09-11"}}],"partNumbers":["437-1895"],"accessionNumberNum":"437","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1895,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LT5906","2019LU2747","2019LW3692"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2007-02-02","availableToBook":false}}