The Westcar Papyrus from which our device is taken, relates in simple language a few magical tales during the reign of the pharaoh Khufu. It was written at the end of the Middle Kingdom in hieratic caracters then translated into hieroglyphic signs. It constitutes today one of the most popular texts from which to learn the techniques of translation and reading of the ancient egyptian language. In the same way, we hope that your visit to our website will encourage you to go further and delve into the fascinating egyptological world.
There have always been metal statues in Egyptian temples. It is in Third Intermediate Period that the art of metal working attained it's apogee, in production, quality and of quantity. This great statue of Horus is part of a scene in which the two Patron Gods of Royalty, face each other cleansing the king before rituals.
To save on the amount of metal used the statues were cast using a process called "the lost wax method". This involved a core of clay and sand which was covered with a thick layer of wax that would later become the same thickness as the metal used. After modeling the wax into it's desired finished shape it was again covered with clay and heated. After the melting wax runs out, there remains an empty space between the interior core and the exterior form, a space, into which to pour the molten metal. After cooling the exterior is broken away, generally the interior was left in place.
The statue seems unfinished,the face has not been polished, the pins which attach the arms (cast separately)to the body are still visible. The face would have originally been covered with a layer of plaster or perhaps gold, which is now missing.
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Created in Montreal in November 1999, the Société pour l'Étude de l'Égypte ancienne (SEEA) is the Montreal Chapter of the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities (SSEA). The SSEA is a Toronto-based charitable organization founded in 1969 and duly incorporated the 10th of August 1970 under the laws of the province of Ontario. The Society was founded to stimulate interest in Egyptology, to assist those interested - professionals and non-professionals alike - with research and training in the field, and to sponsor and promote archaeological expeditions to Egypt.
In 1980, the Society established the Canadian Institute in Egypt, and on January 1, 1981, the Society and its Institute became an affiliate of the Canadian Mediterranean Institute. In September 1982 an official protocol was signed between Egypt and Canada which established the Institute as an official cultural presence in Egypt at its premises in Cairo. In 1984, a new Chapter of the SSEA was created in Calgary and in 1995, Dr. Robert Chadwick initiated the Quebec Chapter located in Montreal.
Logistical and secretarial services are provided to scholars engaged in research associated with Egypt and the Sudan. The Society has carried out an epigraphic and archaeological survey of Osiris Ruler of Eternity at Karnak in Upper Egypt, and has been an active sponsor of the Dakhleh Oasis Project, in addition to providing support for many other research expeditions including the University of Toronto's Wadi Tumilat Project.
To promote public interest in Egyptology, the Society instituted a public lecture series and mini-lectures for members. The Society through SSEA / Benben Publications also publishes the Journal of the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities (JSSEA) and a Newsletter for members.
