One of the most recognized artifacts from Egyptian art is the recurring symbol of the scarab. This insect has had a profound impact on Egyptian culture, religion and art. In order to fully understand the true representation of this incredibly humble insect, it is important to explore how it is historically and culturally important in ancient Egypt. It is important to know what the scarab is, what it represents, how it was used in Egyptian art, culture and its iconography. The word “scarab” is a Latin word used to describe an Egyptian gem in the shape of a beetle. These scarab beetles are modeled after the dung beetles that are prominent in the Egyptian area. This beetle makes a habit of rolling a large ball of dung around. It will eat from …show more content…
They were usually carved from hard stone or made of faience or a glazed pottery. As is usual, the body of this scarab conforms to the Scarabaeus sacer; the surface of the speckled green stone is polished. The eyes and head are deeply carved on the five notched shield (clypeus). The first segment of the upper body (prothorax) and wings (elytrae) are separated by fine, carefully incised double lines around the edges and triple lines separate the wings. The legs (tibiae) are tucked underneath the body and the femora of the legs are indicated by a notch in the stone. At the body end below the wings the under body is suggested by a double row of V-shaped incised lines. The scarab has no bored hole. However, on either side under the shield are two shallow holes. Under the bend in the legs there are three shallow holes and two more above either …show more content…
They often had "catch phrases"; for example: "A mun-my-Strength". (A mun-my-Rock). To the ancient Egyptians, the scarab or dung beetle was a protector of written products. The scarab was also used as a holder or medium for personal name seals. A figurine of a scarab would be carved out of stone, and then on the smooth stomach of the scarab, the engraving of a seal was made. Later, this oval image was used for the representation of the cartouche, or name/title seals.”
The gods that the scarab represented were sun gods. The specific god Khepri, was depicted as a human with the head of a scarab. He was considered to be the god of the rising sun. The word kheper, in which the name Khepri is derived from means “to be transformed”, or “to become”. It is clear how the egyptian concept of the scarab influence the form and role of the god Khepri.
Many of the tombs found had intricate designs that included scarabs. One particular scarab deseind for royalty was found with King Tut. With him in the exibit is an intricate bracelet featuring a scarab. It is gold and with colorful stones and a lapis lazuli scarab encrusted in the middle. Because the bracelet has such a small diameter it is beileved that he wore it as a
... the cause for all of the bad that had happened. This scene represents guilt and desperateness however, Simba does not fall for it. Scar ends up falling into a pit of fire which represents Hell. The hues that are used to create the fire are a monochromatic of red and orange. In the pit of fire there is no physical line for the foreground. As the story ends, Simba claims the throne and restores the Pride Land. The circle of life continues when Simba and Nala give birth to a newborn cub.
Looking at this Palette, it isn’t hard to see how the old Egyptian subjects were so entranced by their leaders and how that compares to our modern viewpoints. Where we view politicians and leaders as a wiry group, always keeping an eye on them lest today be the day they raise their daggers against us, the ancient Egyptians saw their leaders as infallible, godlike beings to be trusted, obeyed, and adored. Standing just over 2 feet tall and 1.4 feet wide, this Palette was carved out of a majestic shade of grey-green siltstone, almost shield-like in appearance. Both sides are exquisitely carved out, each one uniquely decorated but both sides containing a central serekh used to identify and in this case even confirm the subject as royalty. This serekh contains the symbols n’r and mr, which as you may have noticed, phonetically spell Narmer. These symbols are surrounded by two bovine heads, which could either represent the Goddess Hathor or Bat. The front s...
The Ancient Egyptian sculpture, “Statue of Nykara and His Family”, was sculpted during the late fifth dynasty. The sculpture is a depiction of Nykara, his wife, Nubkau, and son, Ankhma-Re. The statue is in poor condition with pieces of limestone missing and chips on the three subject’s faces and bodies. The painted limestone shows the conventional colors for the male and female subjects. There is a clear discoloration among Nykara and his son’s bodies. The brownish red color they once were has eroded to a light yellowish color, which resembles the purposeful color of Nykara’s wife. The hieroglyphs on Nykara’s seat insinuate that the sculpture is meant to be viewed from the front view. This is also evident by the way the three subjects are facing forward in frontal view. There are hieroglyphs on both the chair and base of the statue near Nykara’s wife and son’s feet.
...Persian mūm meaning ‘wax’. In ancient Egypt, at the earliest stage, the people buried the dead in pits in the desert. The dryness and heat from the desert dehydrated the body, creating a lifelike natural ‘mummy’. The ancient Egyptians believed that part of the human spirit was permanently linked to the viability of the body.
I visited the Oriental Institute of Chicago Museum, which contains various artifacts, I choose a Model Hippopotamus from Egypt. The hippopotamus is dated to Egypt’s Middle Kingdom, circa 1878 BC. According to wall text at the Oriental Institute of Chicago, hippopotamuses in Egyptian culture represented the enemies of the ruler. I was attracted to the Model Hippopotamus based on its size/shape, lines, texture, and the color.
Although the portrait does not show a realistic representation of Wadj-shemsi-su himself, the Egyptians instead identified him with glyphs located on the back of the lid and concentrated on creating an idealistic image that symbolized the kingdom’s power. The lid functioned to protect the king’s mummified corpse, but the portrait itself functioned to symbolize the wealth of the kingdom through the figure’s powerful face, strong bone structure, and painted ornate
The first few times that Ahab is introduced to the reader and to his crew, he appears to be inhuman. Even his description when he first appears on deck states that he “seemed made of solid bronze” (Melville 117). To compare him to a statue is to distance him from humanity – he is not a breathing, emotional being. However, as the book continues, it becomes blatantly obvious that Ahab hates his obsession and is greatly disturbed by the fact that he is obsessed. This self-hatred makes Ahab human because he knows that he is leading himself to his death and yet he is so possessed by his obsession that he can do nothing to stop it. Every human being can relate to this feeling, for at one point or another, everyone feels like they have lost control. Though Ahab may be an extreme example, he is simply a strong representation of a characteristic human sentiment.
The ancient Egyptians are known for many of the incredible aspects of their culture and everything they have produced. Some of the well known ancient Egyptian relics are the ones like the ancient pyramids, the Great Sphinx of Giza, mummies, and their many forms of art. Ancient Egyptian art is one of the most recognized styles of art. The most commonly known types of ancient Egyptian art are types like paintings, ceramics, and sculptures. Not only is Egyptian art beautiful, but it carries a huge deal of value and significance with it. A great portion of the time, the art has some kind of religious meaning to it. Consequently it is very difficult to discuss the art itself without delving into the various gods and goddesses presented in it. Something that particularly struck me about ancient Egyptian art was their proneness to use animals in their art. Not only do they use the animal’s full figure, but they also put individual parts on human bodies. This intrigued me because not many cultures have art that embrace animals to this extent. I will be exploring why the ancient Egyptians depict animals in their art repeatedly, and considering what they meant to them.
This artefact is also made of bronze and has the same decorative motifs including the blessing (benediction) symbol, snake entwined around the wrist, and pine cone held in the upright fingers. A nail hole is also present on the back of the hand. However, it is fully intact and also displays a turtle and lizard on the back of the hand. A square, perhaps magical symbol is seen on the palm under the pinky, which is not seen in MU4745. The snake also does not reach the top of the thumb.
W. Raymond Johnson, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, (1996), pp. 65-82, Date viewed 19th may, http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/3822115.pdf?&acceptTC=true&jpdConfirm=true
...nt through the women. The power to rule was passed from wife to husband. Kha-merer-nebty II is shown here presenting her husband, Mycerinus, as the pharaoh. Unlike the sculpture of Augustus, this sculpture also has a religious purpose. The Egyptians believed that in order for the “ka” (spirit) to live forever, the body had to be preserved which is why they mummified their bodies. As an extra precaution, sculptures like these were made to serve as a “replacement body” for the ka should something happen to their body.
Archeologists believe this mask dates back to about 1250-1100 BCE. The mask is completely made out of bronze and stands about 66cm high and 138cm wide. This mask consists of many different forms that differ from most of the art we have reviewed in class. It resembles many human and supernatural features such as protruding eyes and halberd-shaped ears. The protruding eyes definitely stand out on the mask and resemble a form that seems celestial. The true purpose to why the eyes protrude is still under debate, but it is definitely something we have not explored in our readings so far. Most of the artifacts we reviewed in class have been mostly human in nature or represent their gods in human forms with animal like features, like the sphinx. The ears are in the shape of a bronze wing or halberd which is a hacking weapon that was commonly used in Northern China during this time. What makes the ears significant in this piece is how they are in the shape of a weapon and not of a human or animal. Besides the ears and the eyes, the entire mask was molded, chiseled, and fused together which is why there are several rectangular holes on the sides and forehead of the mask. The front rectangular hole is possibly believed to once hold a large bronzed conspicuous feather, trunk, or other decoration while the rectangular holes on the sides of the mask were probably once used to fasten
Although the people of both Lower and Upper Egypt believed in one creator who was referred to as the Ikka Nour, the two kingdoms referred to this religious figure by different names and meanings. In the northern kingdom, the Ikka Nour was known as “Ra”. Ra was associated with the sun giving rise to the quote “the sun that shines brilliantly everywhere”
It is clear that tombs and burial rituals were a key element in the Egyptian society and their way of life as it ties into almost all things they did on a daily basis. Whatever a person’s status was when they were alive followed them into the afterlife. Food and luxury goods were buried with a person so that they could have it in the afterlife. The tombs became a person’s new house after they died. Therefore, making it as nice as possible was really important. Art work and clay models were added to a person’s tomb as material goods needed for the afterlife. They were also seen as decorations that kept the tombs looking nice. Throughout the years, Egyptian artworks on the inner parts of the tombs and on the coffins show a development in the Egyptian customs. Each new development was created to better preserve the bodies and comfort of the dead.
Egypt is one of the oldest and most complex civilizations of the world. Their religion and beliefs are fascinating and have been a mystery for centuries. Even today, there are some things that we still do not understand. In this research, I will investigate the basic concepts of Egyptian mythology and its gods.