Serekh

A **serekh** was an important type of heraldic crest used in Ancient Egypt.

## Appearance 
Serekhs, particularly those found throughout Egyptian history, are typically composed of three components: a recessed or niched façade, the king’s name inscribed in a panel, and a falcon. While both the façade and name depictions are consistent in history, during a portion of Egyptian history there appears variety among the animal incarnation specified. 

Dissecting these components, it appears each element serves a purpose in its iconography of kingship. The recessed or niched façade, which appears at the bottom of the serekh, is often considered associated with the king’s ownership of large building such as a palace or tomb. On top of this panel, as stated earlier, is often a falcon denoting the god Horus. Horus’s presence in the serekh suggests the name inscribed in the panel as being the king’s Horus name, but the god’s association with kingship often lends credibility to the monarch. Both the Seth and Horus animals can be shown wearing a red, white, or double crown of Egypt and in some instances, appear in control of weapons. Such personification indicates the larger role played by the serekh, and potentially the use of the animal god as a representation of the king. This retention of a godly spirit would be then be used as the deciding testament for the kings right to the throne. This relationship between the king’s Ka and the Horus god in royal serekh’s can be traced to many of the earliest texts and coalesce with the development of early writing. Until Dynasty IV, serekhs served as the only means for royal identification and later become secondary to the cartouche. The characterization of the Horus falcon also provides a means of dating serekhs and further identifying their owner. For instance, Horus's represented in crouching positions is a distinguishing trademark of Dynasty 0 and First Dynasty serekhs. 

The word "serekh" comes from the Egyptian word for "facade". There are many different serekhs on different types of objects. Many different decorations and details of the facade are shown in many different examples. It seems that there were no strict rules for the design of the serekh.
## Use 
 on the Narmer Palette.]]
A serekh was normally used as a royal crest, showing the name of the pharaoh. They have been found as far back as the predynastic Naqada II (Gerzean) period (ca. 3400 BC.). The hieroglyphs forming the king's name were placed inside a rectangular area above the serekh. From the Old Kingdom period onward, the word serekh appears in old papyri. This connection between name and existence was so well established that often it was not uncommon for the serekh of a royal to stand in his place. It is seen most noticeably in the serekh's of king Aha where the falcon god Horus yields a weapon within the confines of the serekh.

Given the predominant usage of serekhs in the identification of kingship, especially preceding Dynasty IV, the presence of such also serve to demonstrate Egyptian presence in foreign areas. These less precious materials, however, simultaneously exhibit reduced precision and detail of incised serekhs compared to those on more esteemed material such as alabaster. Additionally, names included within serekhs are often short-handed on pottery vessels. Frequently in rock art, such as on stone massifs, serekhs are accompanied by other pictorial hieroglyphs or artistic scenes. The style of artwork placed alongside the serekhs also serves to help date illegible or damaged components. 

## Images 

File:Serekh of Amenemhat VII.jpg|Serekh of Amenemhat VII inscribed into steatite cylindrical seal
File:Djer 1.jpg|Serekh of Djer carved into an ivory label found at Abydos
File:Horus name of Shoshenq V, incised above Nekhbet and Wadjet. Fragment of a plinth, black basalt. From Fayum, Egypt. 22nd Dynasty. The British Museum, London.jpg|Serekh of Shoshenq V inscribed into black basalt with Horus animal partially removed
File:Narmer Palette verso serekh.png|Serekh of Narmer, warranted by the existence of the catfish glyph, found on the siltstone Narmer Palette. An example of ancient Egyptian Dynasty 1 serekhs.
File:Amulet of serekh sign surmounted by archaic falcon MET 17.194.2493 EGDP015663.jpg|Glass amulet of a serekh with Horus falcon credited to the Late-Ptolemaic Period.
File:Bowl with Inscribed Serekh LACMA M.80.199.85.jpg|Serekh inscribed on Egyptian Early Dynastic bowl

## References