Thoth Under the Midnight Sky

©Joan Ann Lansberry, 5-13-07

Not satisfied with earlier efforts, I got out the 11in by 14in bristol board and had another try at Thoth.

I didn't want to follow the statue exactly, so I gave him something useful to do with the hand that had been resting on his knee! Also, I learned something about the heiroglyph 'neb' which means 'lord of'. The bowl shaped heiroglyph also means 'bowl', so perhaps when Thoth is called 'Lord of Ma'at', they are meaning he CONTAINS Ma'at?

So the bowl which I have imagined holds ink for writers and artists, and healing ointment for those who are sick has another meaning.

Also, I tried to make the deco on his collar, arm bands and bowl band meaningful, as well as including the heiroglyph for Thoth (Djehuty) in the lower left. In addition, I looked at ibis pictures. The orangish golden beak does exist with the white feathers. Although this is not the coloring of the traditional 'sacred ibis', with its black beak, it is still ibis colors. It made sense then to have the hair white. Also, white hair is often associated with the wisdom that comes with age, and so it makes sense to me that Thoth have white hair. Yes, it's probably not 'Kemetic' standard, but to me it makes sense. As I am trying to impart a sense of 'realism' to the image, and how an ibis head would fit on a human body, golden brown flesh more aesthetically appealing here, this matches better.


5 x 7inch version...