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This figurine is made of hippopotamus tusk, a very reputable material. The eyes, nose, and head are not proportionate. The feminine characteristics might have been representative of fertility, a deity, or a concept attached to the afterlife, since it was found in a grave.
Pre-Dynastic Egypt, Egypt Female Figurine, c. 5000 BCE, British Museum, England, https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA59648 -
The Pre-Dynastic Period saw the rise of several powerful towns. The craft of sculpture was popular, with large-scale figures carved in stone. The period precluded the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt. Death was an extremely popular subject in art in this time.
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This statue was excavated from a tomb in southern Egypt and is believed to represent divinity or a woman performing a ritual. Her arms are raised above her head in a way that mimics bull horns, iconography that was very important in Ancient Egypt. The bird-like head is thought to be a nose that would allow a spirit inhabiting the sculpture to breathe.
Pre-Dynastic Egypt, Female Figure, c. 3500-3400 BCE, Brooklyn Museum, https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/objects/4225 -
Death and the afterlife were major focuses in art during the Old Kingdom Period in Egypt, and the style of the art remained constant for nearly three thousand years. Egyptians wanted to create artwork for the tombs of Pharaohs: large funerary complexes that would protect their afterlife for eternity, and inside of which people paid their respects through offerings and worship. Iconography in the Old Kingdom reinforced the Divine Right to Rule, and death was a big business.
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This statue is made of diorite, a rare stone that is hard to carve and glows blue in certain light. Wearing a royal headdress, Khafre sits on a throne with iconography that symbolizes a united Egypt. Horace, the God of the Sun and the Sky, embraces him, solidifying his Divine Right to Rule. This idealized statue cements Khafre's kingship and power for an eternity.
Old Kingdom, Khafre Enthroned, c. 2520-2494 BCE, Egyptian Museum, Cairo https://egypt-museum.com/khafre-enthroned/#google_vignette -
Believing their lives could continue after death, Pharaohs decorated their tombs with objects that would help them upkeep their lives and habits in the afterlife, and sometimes, this included members of their working class. This statue is far less idealized than that of Khafre Enthroned. The scribe sits at attention, writing tool in hand. His eyes are inlaid with a blue crystal.
Old Kingdom, Seated Scribe, c. 2450 BCE, Louvre Museum, Paris, France, https://egypt-museum.com/the-seated-scribe/ -
The Middle Kingdom saw the reunification of Egypt after a period of civil war. Kings were expected to be more available to the public, and more people were able to interact with the Gods. Middle Kingdom pyramids were made of mud-brick as opposed to limestone. They were not as well constructed, and many have eroded. Statues of rulers from this time are far more naturalistic, and female sphinxes appeared.
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Characteristic of the art from the Middle Kingdom, the Statue of Senusret III is realistic. His hands lay flat on his skirt, demonstrating a devotional pose. His ears are large, possibly to symbolize his readiness to listen. His furrowed expression demonstrates the hardship kings during this period faced with reunification and restoration.
Middle Kingdom, Statue of Senusret III, c. 1874-1855 BCE, British Museum, England https://smarthistory.org/statues-of-senusret-iii/ -
Financial and economic instability of the Middle Kingdom are made evident by this statue. Kings during this period were expected to be good shepherds, an idea represented by Minhotep's lack of headdress, seated pose, and fully covered body. Compared to art from the pre-dynastic period, this statue is smaller and carved with less intricate detailing and iconography.
Middle Kingdom, Minhotep, c. 1850-1640 BCE, The Metropolitan Museum of Art https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/546660 -
The Pharaohs in New Kingdom Egypt are no longer all powerful. The presence of foreign people creates a more visibly diverse group of people. Women within the nobility become more prominent, as seen with some women becoming Pharaohs. Human figures in the art were more naturalistic and expressive. Important figures were depicted with elongated heads, wide hips, and bellies.
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This sculpture was made for her mortuary temple. Hatshepsut assumes the authority of king and Pharaoh: she wears the false beard and a nemes. Her body is represented in a masculine form: she has broad shoulders and unemphashized breasts. The symmetry and material exemplify timelessness. The bowls in her hand are an offering to Amun Maat.
New Kingdom. Large Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut. c. 1479–1458 BCE. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544449 -
This is a life-sized, full color image of Queen Nefertiti. It is made of a temporary material, wax. The limestone has been covered with a thin layer of plaster, and she is very delicately carved and painted. This sculpture represents a new ideal of beauty, shown by the elongated head.
Thutmose. Model Bust of Queen Nefertiti. c. 1340 BCE. Neues Museum Berlin, https://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/aegyptisches-museum-und-papyrussammlung/collection-research/bust-of-nefertiti/the-bust/ -
This coffin was found in Tut's nearly intact tomb, and inside two outermost coffins made of wood and covered in gold and stones. This innermost coffin was made entirely of solid gold. King Tutankhamun holds two symbols of his right to rule--the crook and flail. Inlaid in stone are the wings of the goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet.
New Kingdom. Tutankhamun’s tomb, innermost coffin. c. 1323 BCE. Egyptian Museum, https://smarthistory.org/tutankhamuns-tomb-innermost-coffin-and-death-mask/ -
This mask is constructed of two sheets of gold hammered together, weighing at 22.5 pounds. The mask rested on the mummy in King Tutankhamun's innermost coffin. He wears the nemes headdress, with the cobra and the vulture representing the goddesses Wadjet and Nekhbet. On the backside are scriptures from the "Book of the Dead", a road map for the afterlife.
New Kingdom. Mask of Tutankhamun. c. 1323 BCE. Egyptian Museum, https://smarthistory.org/tutankhamuns-tomb-innermost-coffin-and-death-mask/ -
This scroll represents a scene of judgement for Hunefer, a priest. This text has spells that include instructions for the afterlife, no longer reserved for kings. Hunefer's heart is weighed against the feather of Ma'at, and he is seen to have lived an ethical life. Symbols of Egypt like the lotus and an ostrich feather remain.
New Kingdom. Hunefer’s Judgement in the presence of Osiris. c. 1275 BCE. The British Museum, https://smarthistory.org/hunefers-judgement-in-the-presence-of-osiris/