Winged Maat

Description

This relief shows the Goddess Maat kneeling with her wings extended in a pose of protection or paying homage. Maat is the Goddess of Truth and Justice who personifies cosmic order and harmony as established by the Creator God at the beginning of time. Her symbol is an ostrich feather. The seated image of Maat was held in pharaoh’s hand like a doll and was presented as an offering to the Gods. This meant that the king was the representative of divine order since Maat was seen as legitimizing their authority to govern and to uphold the laws of the universe which she embodies. Judges were regarded as priests of Maat. In the hall of judgement at the weighing of the heart, the heart of the deceased was placed on the scales of justice, balanced against the feather of Maat, symbol of justice.