Pschent

The pschent is the double crown of ancient Egypt, formed by the unification of the white crown of Upper Egypt (hedjet) with the red crown of Lower Egypt (deshret). The name pschent comes from the Egyptian psḫt, meaning “the two lands,” and it symbolized the pharaoh’s sovereignty over both regions and the political unity of the country.

Design and depiction commonly show the two crowns joined around the head, sometimes with a central band tying them together. The pschent is often rendered with the uraeus, the stylized cobra, at the front to signify royal authority. In some representations, it appears as a fused form rather than two separate crowns, reflecting the unity of the two lands.

Symbolism and significance center on the concept of the Two Lands—Upper Egypt in the south and Lower Egypt in the north. The pschent represents legitimate kingship, divine rule, and political stability, reinforcing the idea that the pharaoh governs a unified Egypt. In royal iconography, the crown is associated with the god Horus and with the kings’ mandate to protect and govern the realm.

Historical usage varies by period, but the pschent appears prominently in royal imagery from the Early Dynastic through later periods. It is most commonly associated with kings rather than queens and is a key emblem in regalia and titulary, signaling the unity and consolidation of the Egyptian state. Related crowns include the hedjet (white crown) and the deshret (red crown).