“Tem is Beautiful; the Beauty of Tem” Son of Ptah and Sekhmet of Mennefer, Nefertem is portrayed as a beautiful young man with a lotus flower on His head or holding lotuses. An original creation story of the city of An (G/R Heliopolis) relates that on the day of creation, a beautiful child emerged from the center of a huge lotus flower floating on the surface of the Nun; Nefertem’s name, which honors Tem, the Self-Created One of An, probably hearkens to this myth. Nefertem is patron of both the healing arts and the arts of beautification, though in later periods his newly-introduced younger brother, Imhotep, would assume the healing aspects. Nefertem is usually given attributes associated with both the flowers He carries (both their beauty and their narcotic qualities, which were used for medical anesthesia) and their scent, and is especially invoked in the purifications and blessings of offerings involving flowers and perfumes. Very infrequently, and possibly in reflection of the three Names often attributed as being His mother (Sekhmet, Wadjet and Bast), Nefertem is depicted with the head of a lion.