14 inches high (36 cm)
Bonded marble mirror depicting the zodiac of Denderah. Weighs about 4 pounds. This is the earliest depiction of the Zodiac from the ceiling of the temple at Denderah. The Goddesses of the cardinal points of the compass stand erect at the four corners of the canopy of heaven.

Typical Retail: $50.00
       Our Price: $46.00
Add To Cart
#AT-E-309

This mirror, based on the Egyptian Zodiac of Denderah, is reminiscent of the ceiling of the Denderah temple. This carved Zodiac, or Celestial Day, was such a lovely piece of art, and so remarkable that the original ceiling was removed and re-erected in Paris. A copy was substituted.

The Signs of the Zodiac portray a configuration of the stars from around 50 B.C. The zodiac was situated in the ceiling in a middle room of the small eastern Osiris chapel located on the roof of the Hathor temple - specifically on the western half of the ceiling of the central chamber. It formed the greater part of the ceiling.

Essentially comprised of two concentric circles, the entire disk is about 240 centimeters in diameter. Its thickness is approximately 90 centimetres. The two huge blocks of sandstone comprising the disc weighs many tons. This is the oldest known representation of the zodiac.

The first appearance in Egypt of our own 12 zodiacal constellations comes from the Zodiac of Denderah. All available evidence indicates that the concept of the zodiac was not native to Egypt but that it was imported at a later (but unknown) date. (Perhaps during the period of the expansion of the Assyrian Empire.)

The Denderah star map integrates ancient Egyptian star-groups with the zodiacal constellations of the Babylonians (and Greeks). The Babylonian zodiac has been integrated into the Egyptian sky. The astronomical ceiling shows all 12 zodiacal constellations (as well as other constellations, and the planets). It is a syncretistic zodiac based on Egyptian and Greek ideas and is most likely based on a Hellenistic model.

The figures of 36 decans (from the Tanis family of decans), indicators of the hours of the night, are depicted as walking men, snakes, and other animals adjacent to the hands of the supporting figures on the circumference.

The signs of the zodiac are located inside the decan ring and the planets, depicted as Gods holding staffs, and some constellations, are interspersed among them. Northern constellations are in the centre of the disc and the north celestial pole is approximately at the centre of the disc.

The zodiac is supported by four human-headed Goddess figures standing erect at the four corners of the canopy of heaven, who are the Goddesses of the cardinal points of the compass, and also four pairs of kneeling falcon-headed deities.