Obelisk

Artist: Pontius

Status: In Situ and Within Central Park

Title: Obelisk 

Dates:  ca. 1461 B.C, Dedicated: 1881

Medium: Bronze, limestone, and granite 

Dimensions: H: 71 ft. W: 18 ft. D: 18 ft.

Inscription: Inscriptions on crabs holding obelisk:

1. REMOVED TO ALEXANDRIA EGYPT / AND ERECTED THERE B.C. 12 / BY THE ROMANS /

2. REMOVED TO THE UNITED STATES / OF AMERICA A.D. 1880 AND ERECTED IN / NEW YORK CITY JANUARY 22, 1881

3. RUTHERFORD BURCHARD HAYES PRESIDENT / WILLIAM MAXWELL EVARTS SECRETARY OF / STATE OF THE UNITED STATES/

4. LIEUTENANT COMMANDER / HENRY H. GORRINGE UNITED STATES NAVY/ DESIGNED THE PLANS FOR AND SUPERINTENDED / THE REMOVAL AND RE-ERECTION/

Plaque at base:
THE COST OF REMOVING / FROM EGYPT AND PLACING ON THIS / SPOT THIS OBELISQUE PEDESTAL AND BASE / WAS BORNE BY WILLIAM H. VANDERBILT/

Plaque, translation of west face:
THE HORUS, STRONG-BULL-BELOVED-OF-RA, THE KING [OF] UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, USER-MAAT RA, CHOSEN OF RA, CREATED BY THE GODS, WHO FOUNDED THE TWO LANDS, THE SON OF RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, [—] THERE IS NO-ONE WHO DID WHAT HE DID, IN THE HOUSE OF HIS FATHER, THE LORD OF THE TWO LANDS, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN OF RA, THE SON OF RA, RAMESSES, THE BELOVED OF AMUN, GRANTED LIFE LIKE RA. [——] THE HORUS, STRONG-BULL-APPEARING-IN-THEBES THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, MEN-KHEPER-RA, WHO EMBELLISHES THE HOUSE OF HIM WHO CREATED HIM, [—] (THE SON OF RA, THUTMOSE), BELOVED OF (ATUN) LORD OF HELIOPOLIS, MAY HE LIVE FOREVER. [——] THE HORUS, STONG-BULL-SON-OF-RA, THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN OF RA, THE GOLDEN HORUS, MIGHTY-IN-YEARS-AND-GREAT-OF-VICTORIES, THE SON OF RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, [—] THE LORD OF THE TWO LANDS, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN-OF-RA, THE SON-OF-RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-O-AMUN.

Plaque, translation of north face:
THE HORUS, STRONG-BULL-LOVING-TRUTH, THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN-OF-RA, LORD OF FESTIVALS LIKE HIS FATHER PTAH-TATENEN, THE SON OF RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, WHOM RA CREATED IN ORDER TO MAKE HELIOPOLIS FESTIVE AND TO PROVIDE THE SANCTUARIES OF HIM WHO CREATED HIM WITH FOOD-OFFERINGS, THE LORD OF THE TWO LANDS, USER-MAAT-RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN GRANTED ALL LIFE LIKE RA. [——] THE HORUS, HIGH-OF-THE-WHITE-CROWN-BELOVED-OF-RA, THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, MEN-KHEPER-RA, THE GOLDEN HORUS, CONTENTED-WITH-STRENGTH-WHO-SMILES-[AT]-THE-RULERS-OF-FOREIGN-LANDS-WHO-ATTACK-HIM, ACCORDING AS HIS FATHER RA HAS ORDAINED FOR HIM VICTORY AGAINST EVERY LAND AND STRENGTH IN HIS EFFORTS TO EXTEND THE BOUNDARIES OF EGYPT, THE SON OF RA, THUTMOSE, GRANTED ALL LIFE FOREVER. [——] THE HORUS, STRONG-BULL-SON-OF-RA, THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN-OF-RA, HE OF THE TWO GODDESSES, PROTESTOR-OF-EGYPT-AND-CURBER-OF-FOREIGN-LANDS, THE SON OF RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, A VALIANT KING ACTIVE WITH HIS ARMIES IN THE PRESENCE OF EVERY LAND, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN-OF-RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, GRANTED ALL LIFE LIKE RA.

Plaque, translation of south face:
THE HORUS STRONG-BULL-SON-OF-RA, THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN-OF-RA, HE OF THE TWO GODDESSES, PROTECTOR-OF-EGYPT-AND-CURBER-OF-FOREIGN-LANDS, THE SON OF RA, RAMESSES BELOVED-OF-AMUN, A KING EXCELLENT, LIKE RA. [—] THE LORD OF THE TWO LANDS, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN-OF-RA, THE SON OF RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN. [——] THE HORUS, STRONG-BULL-BELOVED-OF-RA, THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, MEN-KHEPER-RA; HE MADE (IT) AS HIS MONUMENT FOR HIS FATHER ATUM, LORD OF HELIOPOLIS, ERECTING FOR HIM TWO GREAT OBELISKS, WHOSE PYRAMIDIONS ARE OF FIND GOLD, [—] HELIOPOLIS [—] (THE SON OF RA, THUTMOSE), MAY [HE?] BE FOREVER. [——] THE HORUS, STRONG-BULL-LOVING-TRUTH, THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN-OF-RA, LORD OF FESTIVALS LIKE HIS FATHER PTAH-TATENEN, THE SON OF RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, VERITABLE GOD STAR OF THE TWO LANDS, WHO IS VERSED IN THE LAWS AND IS WORTHY (IN HIS ACTIONS), THE LORD OF THE TWO LANDS, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN OF RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, GRANTED LIFE.

Plaque, translation of east face:
THE HORUS, STRONG-BULL-SON-OF-KHEPRI, THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN-OF-RA, THE GOLDEN HORUS, MIGHTY-IN-YEARS-AND-GREAT-OF-VICTORIES, THE SON OF RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, WHO CAME FORTH FROM THE WOMB IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE CROWNS, OF RA, WHO CREATED HIM TO BE SOLE LORD OF THE TWO LANDS, USER-MAAT-RA-CHOSEN-OF-RA, THE SON OF RA. RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, ONE SERVICEABLE TO RA AND GRANTED LIFE LIKE RA. [——] THE HORUS, STRONG-BULL-APPEARING-IN-THEBES, HE OF THE TWO LANDS, GODDESSES, ENDURING OF KINGSHIP-LIKE-RA-IN-HEAVEN, BODILY SON OF ATUM, WHOM THE MISTRESS OF HELIOPOLIS BORE TO HIM, THUTMOSE, WHOM THEY CREATED IN THE TEMPLE OF THEIR MEMBERS, KNOWING THAT HE WOULD EXERCISE ENDURING KINGSHIP THROUGHOUT ETERNITY, THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, MEN-KHEPER-RA, BELOVED OF ATUM, THE GREAT GOD, TOGETHER WITH HIS ENNEAT, GRANTED ALL LIFE, STABILITY, AND DOMINION LIKE RA FOREVER. [——] THE HORUS, STRONG-BULL-BELOVED-OF-RA, THE KING OF UPPER AND LOWER EGYPT, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN-OF-RA, RA, CREATED BY THE GODS, WHO FOUNDED THE TWO LANDS, THE SON OF RA RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, THE NOBLE YOUTH, BELOVED LIKE ATEN WHEN HE SHINES ON THE HORIZON, THE LORD OF THE TWO LANDS, USER-MAAT-RA, CHOSEN-OF-RA, THE SON OF RA, RAMESSES, BELOVED-OF-AMUN, ONE SERVICEABLE TO RA AND GRANTED LIFE LIKE RA.