Adapted from the coverpage of the official catalogue

Image number : 1 of 42
This object is described in the catalogue as "offering tablet of the seven sacred oils"
Does anyone know something about these oils?
I chose to distinguish this object: it represents an offerings tablet for the seven sacred
oils. It belonged at a certain Teti-ankj-kem and dates from the beginning of the 6th
Dynasty. It was found at the time of the excaations led by !ahi "awass in the area of the
king Teti cemetery# at $a%%ara.
The object measures &6.' x (.( x &.' cm. It includes ( pots intended to contain the oils#
whose names are mentioned aboe.
The members of the EEF News forum hae been solicited to comment on this artefact# and
proided this information )thank you to *.+. ,yma-.
.The seen sacred oils are those used in the /pening of the 0outh 1itual for the anointing
of the mouth and eyes of the statue or mummy of the deceased. 2or more information see
The 3ook of /pening the 0outh# ,.*. 4allace 3udge# &565. . or look under ./pening the
0outh. in any modern egyptological reference work. 4hat is good about 3udge7s work is he
reproduces the hieroglyphic text and the ignettes of the ritual..
)8reg 1eeder-
./ils were attested in ancient ,gypt from as early as dynasty I# recorded on some of the
jar labels from royal tombs# for use in ritual. They were also later used for medicinal
purposes# perfume production and for massage# as well as mundane household purposes
such as for cooking and lamps. $tone tablets with indentations for oils are known from the
/ld +ingdom onwards# sometimes as part of burial e%uipment and I beliee they were used
in the 7/pening of the 0outh 1itual7. The body of the deceased was annointed with oils in a
particular order during the funerary ritual. $uggestions for the reading of the $een $acred
/ils listed in the tablet in the 9entenary ,xhibition are as follows )from right to left-:
setji-heb oil )festial perfume- :sT)i--"b;
sefetji oil )unknown origin- :sfT;
heknu oil )oil of praising- :"knw;
nekhenem oil )unknown origin- :n<nm;
tewat oil )unknown origin- :tw*)w-)t-;
ash oil )best %uality oil of conifer or cedar- :"*t a$;
tjehenu oil )best %uality oil from =ibya- :T"nw;
)$u 3ayfield- .
.It seems that the ( sacred oils can be placed in a funerary context as early as the >th
Dynasty# each associated with a jar of a specific shape. They recur in tomb art of the 0iddle
and ?ew +ingdoms@ and are well represented in the *sasif tombs of the =ate Aeriod where
they are often depicted beneath the chair of the tomb owner. *ll seen jars appear# for
example# beneath a chair in the tomb of Aabasa# TTB(5. There is some discussion of these
objects in an article by ,.C. Aischikoa entitled 71epresentations of 1itual and $ymbolic
/bjects in =ate <<Cth Dynasty and $aite Ariate Tombs7 D*19, E& )&55>- pp.6E-((.
Aischikoa indicates that all seen types of jar are first attested in a 7royal funerary context7
in a scene showing offering bearers in "atshepsut7s temple at Deir el 3ahri. The explanation
gien for the symbolic use of the oils is that they were poured onto the head of the
deceased in the maner that /siris was annointed by "orus to gie the deceased the
7spiritual power for resurrection7 - Ayramid texts also associating sacred oils with the
emblem of the eye of "orus..
)$teen 8regory-
.There is a special study on this subject : 3asma +oura# Die .(-"eiligen Fle. und andere Fl-
und 2ettnamen. ,ine lexikographische Gntersuchung Hu den 3eHeichnungen on Flen#
2etten und $alben bei den *lten Igyptern on der 2rJhHeit bis Hum *nfang der
AtolemKerHeit )on E666 . 9hr. - ca. E6' . 9hr.-# $haker# &555 )*egyptiaca
0onasteriensia# B-. Ab.# EBB pp. I$3?: E-LB6'-6>6>-5# price: ,G1 '>.'6 ..
)0ichael Tilgner-
*nd coming from ouside ,,2# ,liHabeth 0ehlin proided the following information :
.Dames A. *llen translator# edited by Aeter Der 0anuelian# )B66'-# The *ncient ,gyptian
Ayramid Texts# $ociety of 3iblical =iterature# *tlanta# Aage BB.
This text comes from the tomb of Gnis. The capital letters indicate instructions to the priest.
The numbers come from *llen. )I take back my idea that some of these oils could be faked
with just any oil. Mou donNt mess around with something as serious as this-.
This anointing ritual is the same as the one found in TetiNs tomb. I understand the anointing
is done with the little finger. 3efore the anointing ritual came the rituals of libation#
cleansing# cleansing the mouth# mouth opening# and mouth opening meal. *fter the
anointing came the ritual of the presentation of eyepaint# then linens# then another
cleansing# and then the preparation of the offering table.
*?/I?TI?8
O >6 /siris Gnis# I hae filled for you your eye with oil. 1,9IT*TI/? > TI0,$. P2,$TIC*=-
$9,?TQ /I=
O >( /siris Gnis# accept the foam that is from his face. PDG3I=*TI/?Q /I=.
O >L /sirus Gnis# accept "orusN eye# on which he caused the deastation. AI?, /I=
O >5 /sirus Gnis# accept "orusN eye which he rejoined. P1,D/I?I?8Q /I=
O '6 /sirus Gnis# accept "orusN eye# with which he got the gods. P$GAA/1TQ /I=
O '& /intment# ointment# where should you beR Mou on "orusN forehead# where should you
be. Mou were on "orusN forehead# but I will put you on this GnisN forehead. Mou shall make it
pleasant for him# wearing you@ you shall ankify him# wearing you@ you shall make him hae
control of his body@ you shall put his ferocity in the eyes of all akhs who shall look at him
and eeryone who hears his name as well. 2I1$T 9=*$$ 9,D*1 /I=
O 'B /siris Gnis# I hae gotten for you "orusN eye which he ac%uired# to your forehead.
2I1$T 9=*$$ =I3M*? /I=.