December 23, 2015

(077) Гири Древнего Египта. Weights of Ancient Egypt.

Собрание Музея г. Воронеж - https://lenta.ru/articles/2015/10/19/russianegypt/
Один из самых древних предметов в коллекции датируется XIX веком до новой эры: это весовая гиря, выполненная из зеленоватого камня серпентина.
На ней — имя великого фараона Сенусерта III, который был одним из самых успешных завоевателей Нубии, знаменитой «земли золота»,
располагавшейся там, где проходит сегодня граница Египта и Судана.

Осуществив несколько стремительных военных кампаний, Сенусерт III основал здесь сеть мощных крепостей, некоторые из которых были
еще хорошо заметны в 1960-х годах, до того, как этот район затопили воды Нила. В центре каждой крепости, хорошо обороняемой военным
гарнизоном, находились хранилища для золотого песка и слитков, которые стекались в эти центры из расположенных в восточной пустыне приисков.
Работа на приисках была уделом смертников, чаще всего — осужденных и пленных рабов.

Полученное золото в крепостях обрабатывали, переплавляли в кольца и пластины, тщательно взвешивая и учитывая, а затем отправляли в столицу.
На гире из воронежского собрания (в России ей аналогов нет, ближайший – в собрании парижского Лувра) указан вес — 20,5 золотых колец,
что эквивалентно современным 273 граммам.

В древнем Египте денег не было вплоть до IV века до новой эры. Первыми монетами египетские цари расплачивались с греческими наемниками, в то время, как внутри страны
эквивалентами были весовые меры металлов, чаще всего меди, и лишь в исключительных случаях золота.

Бронзовые гири из Египта. Париж, Лувр. Фото из Инета.

Гиря весом 5 дебен (Deben). Средний Египет. Ок. 2649-2100 г. до Р. Х. Фото из Инета

Фаянсовая гиря с зеленой глазурью, обнаруженная в Абидосе, с надписью для верховного управляющего Аабени в конце Среднего царства.Читать - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_units_of_measurement

Гиря из змеевика весом 10 дариков, начертанный для Тахарки во времена 25-й династии.
Читать - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egyptian_units_of_measurement

Фивы. Фото из Инета.

Набор гирь Бека (Beqa), предназначенный для взвешивания золота (специальное клеймо). Найдены в Хартуме. Фото из Инета.

Разновесы Бека (Beqa). Использовались на месторождениях золота в Нубии. Фото из Инета

Гиря в форме утки. Фото из Инета.
Основная единица веса в Древнем Египте - дебен. В Новом царстве вес в 1 дебен составлял около 91 грамма, и он делился на 10 частей кебет или 2 части шати.

Origin: Egypt
Circa: 2300 BC to 1300 BC
Dimensions:2" (5.1cm) high x 3.125" (7.9cm) wide
Catalogue: V1
Collection: Egyptian
Style: Middle/New Kingdom
Medium: Hematite
Though it is very ancient, the purity of line in this rare sculpture gives it a remarkably contemporary feel. With just a few simple features, the Egyptian artist has evoked the essence, the eternal spirit of a water bird (almost certainly a duck, since similar duck sculptures are known in faience). How amazing that millennia ago someone could have defined and captured the timeless qualities of nature and expressed them in a way that is as meaningful to the modern age as to the ancient one. FOUND IN SINAI - (PF.0301)

Гири в форме головы гиппопотама. Египет. Кливлендский музей искусств. Фото из Инета.
Weight in the Form of a Hippopotamus Head, c. 1540-1296 BC Egypt, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 hematite, Overall - h:2.20 w:3.00 d:4.20 cm (h:13/16 w:1 1/8 d:1 5/8 inches) Wt: 62.1 grams. John L. Severance Fund 1992.114
http://www.clevelandart.org/art/1992.114?collection_search_query=weight&op=search&form_build_id=form-1EiBqHB3koMNst_f203lD339RR0U1YjRnCCd_PaTQKM&form_id=clevelandart_collection_search_form

Гиря в форме льва.
Weight in the Form of a Lion, c. 1391-1353 BC; Egypt, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (1540-1296 BC), reign of Amenhotep III leaded tin-bronze, Overall - h:2.50 w:2.30 l:4.60 cm (h:15/16 w:7/8 l:1 3/4 inches) Wt: 44.1 grams Cleveland Museum of Art

Египтяне пользовались своеобразными эталонами - гирями из полированного камня, иногда надписанного именем правящего царя (на фото можно видеть гири Древнего и Среднего царств, подписанные именами Сенусерта и Усеркафа). В Новом царстве стали изготовлять гири в виде бронзовых фигур животных (например, газели или головы быка).

Bull's-Head Weight of 2 Deben. New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, ca. 1550–1391 B.C. Bronze or copper alloy

Syria / Egypt, 1321-1295BC, a fabulous small semi-square bronze weight with 2 standing and well dressed figures facing each other. Weight is 19.72 grams. Figures appear to be a male and female, holding hands, with their right and left feet touching. Well detailed with both figures in relief. Rare! Size is 2cm x 1.7cm x 7mm thick.

Syria / Egypt, c. 3rd-2nd millennium BC., an outstanding loom weight in black serpentine shaped as a tortoise and holed from top to bottom in center. Weight is 9.56 grams. Size is 24mm x 16mm x 10mm thick. Top workmanship. cp. Schmidt, Tepe Hissar p. 225.

Syria / Egypt, 1321-1295BC, a fabulous small rectangular shaped bronze weight with highly detailed reclining man. Weight is 31.53 grams. His hand's are at his sides; entire top of piece with attractive incised linear detailing. Size is 29mm x 13mm x 12mm thick.

Syria / Egypt, 2000-1800BC., a bronze weight in the shape of a flat turtle. Weight is 27.9 grams and is 1.75" x 1.75". Condition is choice. Well defined back side. Another rare example of an early weight.

Syria / Egypt, 1800-1600BC., a small right facing ewe in bronze weight weighing 14.8 grams and measuring ¾" long. Well defined and in fair condition.

Syria / Egypt, 1600-1400BC., A left facing bronze ram weight; very well defined with great ears. Weight is 42.4 grams and measuring 1.25" long. Excellent condition. See Kish and Hendin for similar examples.

Syria / Egypt, 2300-2100BC., Another small right facing bronze ram weight weighing 8.2 grams, measuring 1" long. A choice piece in decent condition.

Syria / Egypt, 2200-2000BC., A flat double sided shell shaped circular weight, weighing 4.4 grams and measuring ¾" long. Well defined lines on both sides. An unusual and rare early weight. Cp. Petrie for similar example.

Syria / Egypt, c. 1400-1000 BC , a bronze bull head. Weight is 18.2 grams, measuring 1" in length. Cp. Hendin, Deutch and Petrie examples.

Syria / Egypt, c. 500BC., a rare bronze weight in the form of a scorpion with stinger resting on his back Weight is 39.39 grams. L: 3.6cm. . Highly detailed with incised linear design throughout. Ex. Joel L. Malter Collection #320.

Egypt, 1175-1194BC., a rare and pristine bronze "cow" weight! In reposed posture with all four legs tucked underneath his torso and with his long tail coiled around his right rump and resting on top. The cow rests on rectangular base that is part of weight. In excellent condition. As stated in Scales and Weights by Bruno Kisch, Yale University, 1965, page 116, "According to Petrie, Egyptian animal weights stem from the Eighteen and Nineteenth Dynasties". See his similar photographed example on page 118, fig. 77. Weight is 313 grams. L: 3.5", 2.25", W: 1 1/8". A very important piece and exceedingly rare.

Egypt, 21st Dynasty, 1090BC-945BC., a round bronze weight with scallop shell in relief on top. In detailed high relief. Weight is 72.5 grams. Size is 1 3/8" in diameter.

Egypt, c. 100-900BC., 1 "Deben" domed granite weight. weighing 99 grams. , S: 1.5" x 1". In black ink on white background on bottom of weight is written, "99 gms, 1 Deben). See Petrie and Hendin for similar examples.

Egypt, c. 650-500BC., a nice dome shaped bee hive weight in pale brown / orange corored granite. Weight is 45.5 grams. H: 1", D: 1.25". Choice. Extremely rare for size and shape. Paul Bessey Collection.

Egypt, c. 18th-19th Dynasties. A small bronze weight with the head of a sphinx, tail of a scorpion and feet of a lion. Weight is 11.3 grams. Measures 15/16" long. In superior condition. The facial features as well as the tail features are well defined. The "scorpion man" is a part of the epic myth Gilgamish and guards the gates to the underworld. An extremely rare weight One of the rarest of the Egyptian weight is come on the market. See: David Hendin, Ancient Scale Weights and Pre-Coinage Currency of the Near East, 2007, New York, #'s 160 and 181. Paul Bessey Collection.

Egypt, c. 6-7th Dynasties. a small but very well defined bronze frog weighing 6.6 grams and measuring ¾" in length. Great facial features with very well defined front and rear legs. Paul Bessey Collection.

Egypt, c. 10th-11th Dynasties, a very small and fine "fly" shaped weight in hematite; well defined on both the back and face. Weight is 4.1 grams, size is ½" in length. See Hendin and Petrie for similar examples. A rare type with overall condition choice. Paul Bessey Collection.

Egypt, c. 14-16th Dynasties. A rectangular bronze weight with beetle atop in high relief on top side. Weight is 20.6 grams, measuring ¾" in length and 5/8" width. Bottom is smooth and slightly rounded. Another extremely rare mid Dynasty weight. Rare. Weights like these seldom if ever come up on the market. Paul Bessey Collection.

Egypt, c. 1000BC., a lot of 3 large stone "cup-cake" shaped weights. Smallest is of red-brown color and is 1.25" in diameter at flat bottom and 1.5" tall, weight is 192.7 grams. Second is of red-brown in color and is 2.25" in diameter at flat bottom and 1.75" tall at semi-flat top, weight is 451.7 grams. Last of speckled mottled grey and white coloring is 2.5" in diameter at flat bottom and about 1.5" tall, weight is 473.3 grams. Ex. Joel L. Malter 443. Paul Bessey Collection.

Egypt, c.1000 BC. A bronze weight in the 'beqa' standard in the form of a scallop shell. D: 23mm, H: 16. Weight is 29.02 grams. Cp. Petrie, 'Ancient Weights and Measures', #.A. Also see Ancient Scale Weights by Hendin, page 184, #233-4. Well detailed and realistically styled with brown and green patina. Very Fine. Paul Bessey Collection.

Egypt, c. 1200-1000BC., a nice rounded cube shape weight in black granite. Weight is 203 grams. S 1.5" x 1.75" x 1.75". Paul Bessey Collection.

A lot of 2 Egyptian late dynastic stone weights / amulets. The first is duck shaped, very well defined and weighs 4 grams. ¾" long. The second as a frog weighing 7.4 grams, ¾" long. . Both are holed, possibly used as either weights or amulets. Paul Bessey Collection.

Egypt, Fatimid Period or later. Circa 10th-11th century / 3rd-5th century AH. 2 Ounce = 33 1/3 Dirham Weight (Bronze, 29x29x15mm, 104.09 g), a very thick, square commercial-weight, of probable Coptic workmanship. He-goat walking to left, his head turned back to right, surrounded by floral ornaments; all within raised square border. Rev. Plain. A. Mazarakis, "Three Weights," NomXhron 28, 2010, pp. 95-104, fig. C (this piece). A bold and attractive piece with a dark brown patina. A very rare and extraordinary object. About extremely fine.

From the Eparch Collection, acquired from a private collection in London.
For the attribution of this piece see Mazarakis' article cited above.

Egypt, Fatimid Period or later. 10th-13th century (?) / AH 3rd-7th century (?). Weight of 1/6 Ratl of 55 dirhams or 2 ounces (Bronze, 49x49x8mm, 171.58 g), probably Coptic but conceivably a Crusader commercial- or coin-weight. Cross-crosslet with floral ornaments coming from the upper and lower ends, and with a small square in each inner angle of the cross; all within a linear square frame itself surrounded by a floral border forming another square frame. Rev. Circular empty space surrounded by five inscribed concentric circles; in the space between the inner two and the outer three circles, 33 punched stars; outside the outer circle, engraved 'pointer-like' ornament, which forms a 'handle' like that found on an astrolabe. Apparently completely unparalleled, but see its publication as A. Mazarakis, "Three Weights," NomXhron 28, 2010, pp. 95-104, fig. D (this piece). An impressive and intriguing object. Very fine.

From the Eparch Collection, acquired from a private collection in London.

Древний Египет.

Фото из Инета.

Весы Древнего Египта с гирями.

Саккара, Мастаба Мерерука (начало 6-й династии, около 2300 г. до н.э.). Иллюстрация взвешивания золота. Египет, Средний Египет. Саккара
Саккара — селение в Египте, примерно в 30 км к югу от Каира. В нём находится древнейший некрополь столицы Древнего Царства — Мемфиса. Название его происходит от имени бога мёртвых — Сокара.

Гири из Египта. Масса большей - 2,5 КГ.

Читать - http://aldanov.livejournal.com/718740.html
- http://aldanov.livejournal.com/714976.html
Читать - https://pikabu.ru/story/vam_skolko_veshat_v_grammakh_tochnee_v_drevneegipetskikh_debenakh_5347796
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/measures.htm
http://www.gizapyramids.org/static/pdf%20library/bmfa_pdfs/bmfa79_1981_44to51.pdf
-  https://www.academia.edu/1864503/In_Search_of_the_Earliest_Balance_Weights_Scales_and_Weighing_Systems_from_the_East_Mediterranean_the_Near_and_Middle_East