Nefertum “God of Perfume” possibly “beautiful one who closes” or “one who does not close”; also spelled Nefertum or Nefer-temu) was, in Egyptian mythology, originally a lotus flower at the creation of the world, who had arisen from the primal waters.[2] Nefertem represented both the first sunlight and the delightful smell of the Egyptian blue lotus flower, having arisen from the primal waters within an Egyptian blue waterlily, Nymphaea caerulea. Some of the titles of Nefertem were “He Who is Beautiful” and “Waterlily of the Sun”, and a version of the Book of the Dead says: Rise like Nefertem from the blue water lily to the nostrils of Ra (the creator and sungod) and come forth upon the horizon each day. Nefertem or Nefertum was depicted either as a lion-headed man (left), as a beautiful young man (Middle), or a beautiful young man with a djed-staff and blue lotus with a sun disk on his head. Nefertem was eventually seen as the son of the creator god Ptah, and the goddesses Sekhmet and Bast were sometimes called his mother. In art, Nefertem is usually depicted as a beautiful young man having blue water-lily flowers around his head. As the son of Bastet, he also sometimes has the head of a lion or is a lion or cat reclining. The ancient Egyptians[specify] often carried small statuettes of him as good-luck charms. One of the most notable depictions of Nefertem is the Head of Nefertem, a wooden bust depicting a young king Tutankhamun as Nefertem with his head emerging from a lotus flower.

Overview Nefertum is the beautiful god of perfume and sweet aromas, who was born from the essence of a blue lotus at the dawn of creation. His name means “Beautiful One Who Closes” or “One Who Does Not Close”, a beautiful Atum who was associated with enchanting & sweet-smelling flowers. Nefertem is the son of the creator god Ptah, and the goddesses Sekhmet and Bast were called his mother. He represents the first sunlight and the enchanting smell of the Egyptian blue lotus flower. He represented the concepts of transformation and rebirth due to his connection with flowers and gods. He played a role in providing healing aromas to cure disease and wounds. He is seen as a handsome young man with blue water-lily flowers around his head.