Old kingdom egypt Flashcards
What made egypt unique?
The Nile River being in the very center of it
Judgment of Hunefer
Palette of King Narmer
one of the earliest historical (versus prehistorical) artworks preserved, but Egyptologists still debate exactly what event(s) it depicts
the scenes probably record the unification of the two kingdoms
an elaborate, formalized version of a utilitarian object commonly used in the Predynastic period to prepare eye makeup, which Egyptians used to protect their eyes against irritation and the glare of the sun
Rosetta Stone
written in 3 languages: Ancient Egyptian, Demotic, Greek
Figured out what hieroglyphs said because of the other languages in it
Mastabas
the standard tomb type in early Egypt
a rectangular brick or stone structure with sloping sides erected over an underground burial chamber
Egypt is all about the afterlife
make it hard to find body
holes to leave things for dead
Statues for spirits to go into
only wealthy could afford one
the most renowned figures in Egyptian history was Imhotep, master builder for King Djoser
first recorded name of an artist anywhere in the world
Djoser’s pyramid is one of the oldest stone structures in Egypt
Mastabas stacked ontop of eachother
dual function was to protect the mummified king and his possessions and to symbolize, by its gigantic presence, his absolute and godlike power.
beneath the pyramid were rooms
columns at IMHOTEP
The columns end in capitals (“heads”) that take the form of the papyrus blossoms of Lower Egypt
The column shafts resemble papyrus stalks
Great pyramids
serve as the tombs of the Fourth Dynasty kings Khufu,Khafre, and Menkaure
made during golden age of old kingodm
Used to be smooth white limestone
limestone at tops were stolen
thought to have golden tips
Khufus is the largest
Great Sphinx
Carved out of the Gizeh stone quarry, the Great Sphinx is of colossal size. The sphinx has the body of a lion and the head of a king (probably Khafre) and is associated with the sun god.
lot of speculation surrounding when it was made
Khafre
The stone is diorite, an exceptionally hard dark stone brought some 400 miles down the Nile from royal quarries in the south
Behind Khafre’s head is the falcon (compare Fig. 3-2) that identifies the king as the “Living Horus.”
This portrait from his pyramid complex depicts Khafre as an enthroned divine ruler with a perfect body. The formality of the pose creates an aura of eternal stillness, appropriate for the timeless afterlife.
great compactness and solidity, with few projecting, breakable part
Egyptian canon
rules set in stone
proper way to represent a figure
Menkaure
Standing not sitting
Menkaure and a female figure, usually identified as one of his wives, probably the queen Khamerernebty, but perhaps the goddess Hathor
Once stood in a pyramid
He clenches his hands into fists with the thumbs forward and advances his left leg slightly. But no shift occurs in the angle of the hips to correspond to the uneven distribution of weight. Khamerernebty(?) stands in a similar position
Egyptian artists painted most of their statues, although sometimes sculptors left the natural color of the stone exposed
seated statues of Rahotep and Nofret
limestone
placed in tombs
Seated Scribe
sits directly on the ground, not on a throne or even on a chair
the scribe was not as exalted a figure in the Egyptian hierarchy as the king, whose divinity made him superhuman
as a person’s importance decreases, formality is relaxed and realism increases
Kaaper, Saqqara
Wood statue
painted
wealthy, but not super wealthy
Tomb of Ti
In Egypt, a successful hunt was a metaphor for triumph over evil. In this painted tomb relief, the deceased stands aloof from the hunters busily spearing hippopotami. Ti’s size reflects his high rank
