The gesture is significant in the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony. Ann Macy Roth explains "Here its central act, the opening of the mouth itself, is shown to mimic the clearing of a newborn's mouth with the little fingers.", in "Fingers, Stars, and the 'Opening of the Mouth': the Nature and Function of the Ntrwj-blades". The 'Opening of the Mouth' is done for the deceased, that he might be able to speak and take in nutrition in the afterlife. "Why should a newly reborn king need to have his mouth opened? At birth, a baby's mouth is obstructed by mucus that must be cleared before the baby can breath. In modern births, the mouth is cleared using a bulb syringe, but the physician's little finger is also put into the mouth to test for any abnormalities of the palate. The small size, softness and sensitivity which make the little finger appropriate for this task would make it equally suitable for cleaning the mouth." (Ibid)

This symbolic 'mouth clearing' gesture is also done to statues, giving them 'life'. Ramses III is thereby giving the statue of Horus 'life' by his gesture. Also, mouth clearing can also be combined with 'annointing' rituals, "A similar gesture, in which one little finger is offered while the other hand holds the jar, continues to be the typical gesture for anointing throughout Egyptian history."(Ibid) In both the Luxor and the Medinet Habu scenes, the pharoah is also holding a jar.

Friday, April 10, 2009

"Wealth of the Moment"
7:02pm

Photo Friday theme this week is "Wealth". I am not one who dreams of great wealth. I would not trade my life with that of the very rich. A few days ago, the radio DJ asked the audience "If you could be anyone you wanted to, who would you be?" The responses were the predictable desires to trade life spaces with movie stars and sports stars. I found it rather sad that no one wanted to be who they were. Although I didn't call in, I shared my answer with my co-worker, "I have no desire to be anyone else but me. However, if I could be me with a paid off condo, without fifty excess pounds of weight, and without this bug that hangs on forever, I would be happy!"

No fancy estate, no Madonna look alike body, nothing like that. I like my headspace and count that contentment wealth.

That said, I do enjoy my material possessions and took the camera to my new shoes:

A reviewer said of these shoes:
"I bought these before going to Italy and they were comfortable immediately. Didn't have to break them in. They were good on cobblestone pavement, for hiking and in museums."

That was all I needed to know. I didn't want a repeat of last years 'agony of da-feet' at a certain vast museum. This year I shall be ready. As I wore them for the first time today, I could feel those fancy soles almost propelling me forward as I walked. Cobblestone, I'll be ready for you! European painting galleries, European sculpture and decorative arts, American painting and sculpture, I'll be ready for you!

Travel, and the shoes to take on the streets in the places to which I travel, these are among the things I count as 'wealth'.

I have one more photo to share. The sun broke through the clouds for a brief while at sunset, just long enough to illuminate these roses: