How Did Persian Culture Influence Ancient Egyptian Art

Introduction

We have a little information concerning the Egyptian art during the Persian Invasion in 525 B.C but it ensure that Cambyses invaded Egypt to be included the Persian Empire. There are indications that Egypt has a long history with invaders and Egypt was not easy to receptive to Persian influences, so it is difficult to trace Persian influence on Egyptian art. Probably, Egypt had adopted innovations and new ideas during the Persian Period such as the Persian jacket which was introduced by Persian officials sent to Egypt, piece of jewelry with distinguish style of lion's head. It is worth noting that Egypt during decline period, the artists appear their homesickness to their own art of earlier period and they tried hard to keep

The lion's necklace during Persian Period is represented snarling, enraged or aggressive lion, which is similar to Mesopotamian and Persian art. It is known that this representation of aggressive lion was introduces into Egypt only under Persian rule. the representation of lion has the Egyptian origin in treating the shape but in Persian taste such as; ridging of the roof of the mouth with teeth indicated. By comparing the lion shape with Achaemenid examples we find the majority of these examples were represented with open mouth and always the roof of the mouth will be ridged in a most realistic manner so we assure that these features of lion's representation were influenced by Persian

Cooney argued that this dress is a robe which appears covering body from breast to ankles. The author doesn't agree with Cooney's point of view that this robe or long skirt was a new development in Egyptian sculpture and its first representation during Twenty-six Dynasty, but it is suggested thatthis skirt is known in ancient Egyptian sculpture earlier than the Twenty-six Dynasty; it consider the natural changing or development of kilt for individuals during Old Kingdom, by ending of Old Kingdom this long skirt with prominent knot was worn by high official There are many clear examples of statues during Middle Kingdom of high officials appear wearing the long skirt covers the body from breast to ankles with prominent knot at upper edge on right; by Twenty-six Dynasty the artists' nostalgia stood behind get back this dress but with little innovation of the knot which appear more wider with folds or overlaps.

The second part in Ptah-hotep's clothing is a jacket with flaring sleeves which may appear for first time during Twenty-seventh Dynasty; we have to keep in our mind that the jacket in general is known in Egyptian civilization as a development style design of the cloaks and bag-tunic