-
Venus of hippo ivory, and extremely difficult substance to procure, meant as a funerary offering. This figure's existence suggests that humans have occupied the Nile region for 700,000 years. -
College Sidekick. n.d. The Old Kingdom | Boundless Art. https://www.collegesidekick.com/study-guides/boundless-arthistory/the-old-kingdom.
College Sidekick. n.d. The Early Dynastic Period | Boundless Art. https://www.collegesidekick.com/study-guides/boundless-arthistory/the-early-dynastic-period.
College Sidekick. n.d. The Middle Kingdom | Boundless Art. https://www.collegesidekick.com/study-guides/boundless-arthistory/the-middle-kingdom -
Ancient Egypt was a patriarchal society separated by two regions - Lower and Upper Egypt (represented by papyrus and lotuses, respectively). Egyptians lived their whole lives preparing for death and their resurrection in the land of reeds, making funerary art and depictions of the divine world a common function and theme. Pharaohs were Egyptian kings with a close connection to the gods, and had extravagant funerary practices at the times of their deaths.
-
Two sided palette. One side depicts a battle between the Libyans and the Egyptians, where the Libyans are bound and mutilated by various beasts representing Egyptian gods. The other side is a peaceful scene, relatively representative with flora and fauna of the area. -
Large engraved list of the 76 legitimate Pharaoh's cartouches. A cartouche is a frame for a hieroglyphic inscription formed by a rope design surrounding an oval space. These were meant to signify an honored name. In architecture, cartouches would be left blank for inscriptions and epitaphs. -
Defining iconography and style of Egyptian art originated here. The Canon of Proportions guided artists on how to properly size figures based on their social status. Cobras for power, scarabs for protection and strength, and falcons representing the god Horus were common symbols of this time and beyond. Lotuses and papyrus of upper and lower Egypt were depicted intertwined at times to represent unity of the two regions, often included in depictions of pharaohs to represent their unifying power.
-
Siltstone of defined registers depicting Egyptians conquering Libyans. Horus, the falcon god with human hands, holds a victim with rope. The other side depicts a bull trampling a naked man and two men – presumably the victims of the other side – restraining two felines with very long necks. A sandal bearer stands nearest to Naramer, whose constituents are presenting the standards of their gods to the beheaded, naked, and castrated Libyans. -
Limestone stepped pyramid of a similar structure to a mastaba. A mastaba is a place of worship and burial. They contained a chapel, offering table, and a downwards shaft to an underground burial chamber. The shaft was meant to communicate with the dead pharaoh inside. -
This period was known as the "age of the pyramids", characterized by its abundant and complex pyramids and adjacent structures. Funerary practices had developed increasing complexity over time, and the pyramids were meant to reflect the worship of kings with the pride of patriotism.
-
The greatest monuments of ancient Egypt. They contributed not only to the burials of the pharaohs, but as monuments of patriotism and Egypt’s power as a country. Among the pyramids, Khufu is the largest, Menkaure is the smallest with its pyramids of queens, and Khafre has its own complex. -
Diorite statue depicting Khafre seated on his throne. Diorite is a very difficult stone to work with, which is why the edges are much more rigid than most statues. On the side of the throne is a lotus and papyrus intertwined, symbolizing unity of Lower and Upper Egypt. A falcon rests at his back, symbolizing the deity Horus protecting and granting divine rule to Khafre. He is youthful, fit, and emotionless, idealized characteristics in Egyptian culture. There were many multiples of this statue. -
Monolithic limestone sphinx statue connected by a causeway to the funerary temple of Khafre. A pharaoh’s worship had cult status, some continuing to be worshiped by subjects hundreds of years after their death. The sphinx is a guardian figure much like the Lamassu of Mesopotamia. -
A necropolis of sorts meant for the remains of high-ranking military officials. Ti was the director of hairdressers, working close with the Pharaoh and therefore being of a high rank. This high rank allowed Ti to purchase and build the Mastaba. -
Seated limestone figure – presumably a scribe with a scroll of papyrus. He is depicted in a naturalistic fashion; barely clothed, barefoot, and seated on the floor instead of a throne. Scribes were very important in ancient civilizations, as they were responsible for record keeping and documenting history by hand. This statue was placed with a pharaoh’s burial site to document his ascension and history as a king. -
Painted limestone wall relief at the Mastaba of Ti at Saqqara. The top has various birds and treetop life along branches of papyrus and lotuses. The relief depicts Ti, huge and stylized compared to the rest of his constituents, watching his party actively hunting many hippopotamuses and crocodiles under the water. These wall paintings were meant to ensure that the activities of the dead’s mortal lives would continue in the afterlife. -
Contains the Pyramid texts which were reserved only for kings and queens. This was a religious text providing provision instructions, spells, and guidance for transitioning into the afterlife, among other protective texts to ease the journey from the mortal realm to the land of reeds. -
Decorated wooden coffin for that of the middle class. The practice of decorated burials had spread to the upper-middle class of Egypt at this time, making it less exclusive. A map of the netherworld is painted on the inside to help guide the dead through the afterlife. -
Between the ages of the old and middle kingdom, Egypt’s power was eroded. This politcal and economic uncertainty was reflected in its artwork, where pieces may have been cheaply made or with less-than-ideal subjects. The extravagant burial practices of pharaohs and officials were less exclusive at this time, leading to middle-class Egyptians having their own tombs or decorated coffins.
-
Post-and-lentil tomb. Painted on the walls are domestic scenes, such as wrestling and other conventionally masculine activities. Tomb art focused more on daily life than the divine, interpreting the afterlife as a continuation of earthly life. -
Diorite block statue of Minhotep. His pharaoh status is only given away by his Nemes and beard. This statue would not have required much effort when compared to others of the old kingdom, reflecting the economic instability of the time. -
Statue of Senusret. His expression is somber, which was common for statues of the time. Realism was prevalent during the middle kingdom, where kings and officials were shown with weathered features inspired by political insecurity of the time. -
- Tuthmosis (Theorized)
-
This was the period of time known to officially recognize its kings with the term "Pharaoh". Many famous (and infamous) pharaohs of the contemporary era originate here. Mummification was a common practice for pharaohs of this time, and they had their own decorated tombs and sarcophagi.
-
9-foot granite statue of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, depicting her in a more masculine fashion. She would adopt masculine or androgynous imagery to comply with her critics, though this did little to stop their critique. -
Limestone statue of Hatshepsut, a notable female pharaoh. Her ruling was prosperous, but her status as a woman was criticized by Egyptians wishing to uphold the mythology of men being the rulers of Egypt. Because of this, Hapshepsut's artworks were subjected to damnatio memoriae after her death. She wears an Uraeus on her head, representative of the goddess Wadjet. Uraeus was the protector of lower Egypt and the symbol of divine spiritual wisdom. -
Ceremonial temple meant to connect with the divine and to promote worship of Hatshepsut after her death. The interior is brightly painted with symbols of Osiris, Horus, and other gods, as well as visuals of the journey to the afterlife. Sphinxes of Hatshepsut line the temple's causeway. This temple is seated next to the temples of Thutmose III - her stepson and co-ruler, and Menuhotep II - her father. -
Statue of the controversial pharaoh Akhenaten. When Akhenaten came to the throne, he decided to worship a new god - Aten - and rewrite the Egyptian pantheon entirely. His depictions are not in composite form and do not conform to the hierarchy of proportions, instead having exaggerated and three-dimensional features. In some cases, Akhenaten would be depicted with feminine features to signify himself with both rulership and the feminine traits of fertility. -
Limestone slab meant for worship depicting Akhenaten and his family being blessed with eternal life by Aten. They are depicted not in the composite pose, instead having more three-dimensional depth and very exaggerated features. Through sculptures and paintings, they had their bodies depicted with inhuman features to appear above humanity. The lotus and papyrus symbols of unity are notably absent here. -
Four nested coffins of various materials within which Tutankhamun was entombed. There is a flawless inner coffin, a decorated upper coffin, a bejeweled middle coffin, and a thick outermost coffin. The materials include gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian, quartz, obsidian, turquoise, and colored glass. Tutankhamun's depicted headdress is a Nemes, having the characteristics of an Uraeus - a cobra motif crown for the Goddess Wadjet - and vulture motifs - for the protection goddess Nekbet. -
Golden throne exclusive to the pharaoh Tutankhamun. Its backrest has a main image of himself seated with his wife. He wears an intricate crown of multiple cobras, while his wife wears a crown of feathers. Despite the erasure of Aten during Tut's rule, he still used its sun disk motif as well as the pseudo three-dimensional composite rendering of his father Akhenaten. -
Stele depicting the revered pharaoh Tutankhamun restoring peace to Egypt after Akhenaten's drastic changes to Egyptian religion and law. -
In Egyptian religion, the dead would have to convince various gods that they lived a holy life in line with their values. Anubis ushers Hunefer to his final judgement where his heart is weighed against the feather of Ma'at. If the deceased's heart is lighter than the feather, the dead would be granted passage. If the heart is heavier, the beast known as Amut would devour the dead. Hunefer is presented by Horus to Osiris and his sister Isis to retrieve his preserved organs. -
Massive statue of Ramesses II only found collapsed in the present day. Multiple blessings are carved into his body. These statues were meant to reinforce Ramesses II's status as a godly power. -
Statue of a young Ramesses the Great guarded by the hawk form of Hauron. Ramesses II ruled for 70 years and sired 80 to 103 children. Under his rule many temples were built, suggesting his ruling was relatively peaceful. His devoted god was Horus and his depictions often put him on equal footing with other gods. Even as a young child, he had statues reaffirming his power. -
Terracotta figure of a centaur, important mythological creatures of Ancient Greece. In mythology, centaurs are barbarians and pillagers meant to be defeated by hero figures. Over time, centaurs were used as representatives of enemies to Greece such as the Persians. -
Artworks of this time were mainly decorated with repetitive geometric shapes and stick figures. Funerary offerings and grave markers were abundant. The artwork on these offerings was very angular and exaggerated with literal compositions where everything is shown in full, independent of the viewing angle.
-
Greek vase depicting a variety of register scenes. Human profiles are single eyes with large shoulders, tiny abdomens, and wide hips to fit Greek body ideals. The wrapping register depicts soldiers with shields and horses marching. The other register depicts a central subject dead on a funerary bed being mourned. The wife’s feet are elevated from the floor, a symbol of wealth to keep the dirty ground exclusive to the poor. This piece was reserved for a military leader at his death. -
Period of ancient Greek art heavily influenced by Egyptian, Near Eastern, and Asia Minor cultures through trade and colonization. Pottery and sculpture of various materials, styles, and purposes were a staple of this time due to the cultural variety.
-
This period is notable for its contributing sculptures and temples to Greek culture, mostly originating in the site of Delphi. Many pieces of cultural importance, such as the Sanctuary of Apollo, the Delphic Oracle, and the Pythian Games contributed and reflected the ideals and prominent mythology characteristic of the Greeks.