The Palette of Narmer: Authority
Some artifacts are of such vital importance to our understanding of Ancient cultures that they are ultimately unique and utterly irreplaceable (Calvert 2). Many artifacts such as the Funerary Mask of Tutankhamun were permitted to leave Egypt in order to be displayed overseas (Calvert 2). On the other hand, the Palette of Narmer is significantly valuable that it has yet to be permitted to leave Egypt (Calvert 2). However, reproductions can be viewed within various museums. One of the most significant King’s in Ancient Egypt during the early dynastic period was known as Narmer. Many individuals consider him vastly significant as he was the unifier of Egypt and founder of the First Dynasty, thus the first King
The Ancient Egyptian artifact that I chose to analyze and is the most interesting piece I have seen in the museum is the Cartonnage of Nespanetjerenpare. The artwork itself was larger than me and that was one of the reasons why this artwork was very interesting to me, since I am a fairly tall individual. It was created during the Third intermediate period that was around Dynasty XXII or the twenty second Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and was possibly acquired from Thebes. The dynasty was also known as the Bubastite dynasty which was approxamently from 945-718 B.C.
The reliefs of Ankh-neb-ef are limestone panels with paint that originated from the Old Kingdom of Egypt in 2150 BC during the reign of Pharaoh Pepy II. The delicate carving of the panels in the sunken relief presents a magnificent image. They portray Ankh-neb-ef, an ancient Egyptian priest whose name translates to “may his lord live.” In the reliefs, Ankh-neb-ef holds a Kherep-sceptor and a walking stick, which were symbols of authority in ancient Egypt. Egyptian civilization was extremely religious and most ancient Egyptian artworks involved the portrayal of gods, goddesses, and Pharaoh, as well. Moreover, the Egyptian reverence for order and conservative ideals led to the institution of intricate rules that governed how artists represented both humans and gods (Saylor.org 4). For instance, the apparel worn by Ankh-neb-ef in the painting is not a simple fashion statement. The priest is wearing a prestigious sarong and ornamentation, bracelets, and a wide collar. The jewelry kept their owner safe in a dangerous passage to the afterlife. This formula for representing the human figure in a painting remained popular over several centuries (Robins 24).
Tutankhamun is one of the most famous and instantly recognisable Pharaohs of the modern world even though he lived and reigned over 3,000 years ago. The boy King was born in the 11th year of his father’s reign in 1345 BCE and died in 1327 BCE at the age of just 17 or 18 after only being in power for 8 years. Until archaeologist Howard Carter discovered his almost fully-intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 CE, the pharaoh was almost unheard of due to the common belief that he was a minor ruler, whose reign was of little consequence. However after this discovery and subsequent discoveries due to excavations, analysis of his mummy and other historical evidence, opinions changed, so much so that today Tutankhamun is recognized as an important
What were the historical impacts that the artifacts and the mummy of King Tutankhamen had on archeology and society? This research is conducted over the impacts of the treasures in King Tutankhamun’s tomb, archeological findings on the walls that alter historical context and assumptions, a deeper understanding on the reign of Tut himself and his great excursions, and the autopsy of the mummified King. There will also be an overview of the effects this discovery had on culture and society soon after its discovery, and a brief discussion over the tomb. A primary source being evaluated for research is the book Egyptomania by Bob Brier which explained what sort of cultural impacts the discovery had on the tomb, the society craze towards it, and the industrial response set by corporations. A secondary source is the novel Tutankhamen: The Search For An Egyptian King by Joyce Tyldesley which analyzes all aspects on the discovery of King Tut including his life, his death, and his autopsy.
The Palette of Narmer was carved out of slate during in the Early Dynastic period in Egypt, around 3,200-2,780 BCE. Its frontward side includes designs of the pharaoh Narmer, who stands in the middle of the piece. His feet sit firmly on a ground line, which is commonly perceived as orderly. the main composition features Narmer holding a mace as if about to strike, while also gripping the hair of a subjugated man. The bottoms of this man’s feet do not touch the ground line and he is clearly in a submissive pose, he has lost control and is in chaos. Narmer was the first pharaoh of
Egypt became a consolidated state at the beginning the Early Dynastic Period in 3000 BCE. According to legend, following creation, Upper Egypt in the south and Lower Egypt in the north were both unified under Menes. Originally a powerful ruler from Upper Egypt, Menes conquered Lower Egypt and became the first ruler to preside over a unified Egypt. The Palette of Narmer was created in the Early Dynastic Period between 2950-2775 BCE and is often
King Tutankhamen also known as King Tut was born in 1341 BC and died in 1323 BC. Akhenaten(King Tut’s father) birthday is unknown, but he died in 1335 BC. King Tut is known most for his tomb. “The most fascinating item found in King Tut’s tomb was the stone sarcophagus containing three coffins, one inside the other, with a final coffin made of gold. When the lid of the third coffin was raised, King Tut's royal mummy was revealed, preserved for more than 3,000 years. As archaeologists examined the mummy, they found other artifacts, including bracelets, rings and collars.” The tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. When Carter discovered it, it was untouched. Most of what we know about Egyptian history came from the tomb. Akhenaten and King Tut were both pharaohs, but had two different styles of ruling. Akhenaten made radical changes. These radical changes led to “his characterisation as the first individual in history”. King Tut was the complete opposite. This paper will prove that Tutankhamen took the necessary steps to legitimize his rule after the chaotic rule of his father.
Amenhotep III reigned in ancient Egypt from roughly 1391 to 1353 B.C.E. and is most recognized for his construction of The Luxor Temple and hundreds of shrines he had built. (O’Connor, 2001) Throughout the course of this class we have been asked conceptualize different artifacts and determine what this artifact says about the royal figure that contracted it. Amenhotep’s Luxor Temple and the 250 statues that he commissioned show us that his reign was focused on impressing the rich and powerful people who surrounded him. This is based on who was intended to see the Luxor temple and what impression the temple would have left on its audience. Historians cite Akhenaten and Tutankhamun as the source of radical change in Egyptian history (Berman, 2001), when in reality Amenhotep III started the legacy of art appreciation that continued on to his successors.
In the late 19th century, the Seated Statue of Ramesses II was uncovered in the Temple of Harsaphes, Heracleopolis, by Sir William Flinders Petrie (Horne 1985, 22). Currently, it rests in the Mummies Gallery in the Egyptian section of the Penn Museum. The king sits heroically with his hands resting on his lap and wears the nemes headdress on his head. Made of quartzite sandstone, the statue sits at an impressive height of 226 cm, with a width of 74 cm and length of 149 cm. On his arms, there are faint traces of red and the nemes headdress has touches of blue and yellow. When it was originally crafted, the statue’s colors would have been more prominent than they currently are; there also would have been a false beard inset that has been lost to history.
The palette of King Narmer is more than a lucid and exerted aesthetic construction. An engaging, intriguing composite of shape, color, and form,while delighting the aesthetic senses, this dynamic, blend of both beauty and symbolism, is able to intimately share a powerful narrative. A dynastic and dramatic tale of an uncharacteristically chaotic journey of one man's excursion into power, all the while uniting Egypt.
The Narmer Palette is a ceremonial object that was made between 3000 and 2920 BCE. It was found ritually buried in a temple for the god Horus in Hierakonpolis, Egypt. Throughout this work are many different examples of traditional Egyptian styles and techniques being used. Both sides of the palette are divided into registers. The back of the
The Egyptian Mummy Mask from the early Roman Period is unique and beautiful in every way possible. This mask that is on display in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston is about 3 feet tall to about 2 feet wide. This certain piece of magnificent art is extremely detailed with intricate designs covering it all around. The Museum of Fine Arts makes it easy to pay attention to, because of its detail and how the mask is displayed. The Mummy Mask has it’s own small alter with a spot light shining down on it creating dramatic shadows in a very dim room. The decorations include inlaid glass eyes, a gold leaf and is hand-painted and gilded glass. This mask is not paper maché like the masks that were made in this era; this Mummy Mask had been created out of cartonnage . The Egyptians decorated this masterpiece with bold vertical and horizontal lines representing rows of beads to go along with the story it tells. The Egyptian Mummy Mask from the first half of the first century A.D illustrates a gaze of innocence and acceptance while looking into the bright future of whom the mask was made for. Perfectly painted images covering the mask tell a story of the traditional funerary practices and the after life Egyptians believed in. Egyptians would create these pieces to fit over the heads of the lost lives wrapped inside the mummy. The mask represents the deceased transformed into a God . Although the face of the mask is idealized and emotionless, the decorations say and express more than a
The history of ancient Egypt is divided into three blocks of time referred to as kingdoms. The kingdoms were named as the Old Kingdom, the Middle Kingdom, and the New Kingdom. This essay highlights the differences among the three kingdoms in terms of politics, economics, sculpture, and architecture.
Ancient Egyptian art and Ancient Near Eastern art share the distinguishing characteristic of hierarchy position with the rulers presenting how significant they are in the art. The most similar pieces of art that best showcase this is the Near Eastern piece Stele of Naram-Sin and the Ancient Egyptian piece Palette of Narmer. Both pieces have Naram-Sin and Narmer significantly big on the hierarchy scale to show how important they are in the art piece compared to the other individual figures.
The artworks of Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt are both strikingly different and similar at the same time. Consistent is the theme of serving the different gods the two cultures believed in. In Mesopotamia the various city-states each had their own protective deity, and in Egypt they sometimes differed from one dynasty to the next. Whatever the case, with the beginning of kingdoms and rulership came the need to justify a position of power and establish a hierarchy. And as more time passed came also the human need to leave an impression on their world. Looking at the example of the statues of Gudea from the Neo-Sumerian period and the Temple of Ramses II from the New Kingdom of Egypt in the 19th dynasty, will show how both rulers of