With this hanging in the church for so many years, then taken down and finally being lost, and then my great uncle passing away we never heard the background on this piece. So when I decided to write about it I had to uncover it's mysteries! I took the clues that are in it. With the headdress I figured that was Horus, second to the right. Then noticing the Ankh that the female is holding I figured that was a Goddess and found out that is Hathor. So with the help of Google I was able to find this and know what the story is about. The man next to the Gods is King Hourmoheb who was the man that became Pharaoh after King Tut. King Hourmoheb is portrayed here twice presenting liquids to the Gods.
You also notice with Horus being the patron national god that he is wearing the crown that unites the Kingdoms. There are three cartouches in the background signifying royalty. Which also shows in the stances.
I picked this piece because, besides the obvious sentimental value, Egypt has always fascinated me with the mummification process, the connections in the Bible, and of course their art. What I love about their art is that they create everywhere and it's not just something simple. Everything is very intricate and has a specific meaning.
I love the Egyptian culture for the same reasons that you do! I think it is awesome that your piece came from someone in your family and it must have been really interesting to uncover the secrets about it. I notices that that the gender differentiation (darker skin for males, lighter skin for females) is not present in this piece. It makes me wonder if it was created by someone who was not a part of the Egyptian culture and just wanted to appreciate it by drawing a piece. It is really cool that your family member actually brought this piece from Egypt!
ReplyDeleteI love the Egyptian culture for the same reasons that you do! I think it is awesome that your piece came from someone in your family and it must have been really interesting to uncover the secrets about it. I notices that that the gender differentiation (darker skin for males, lighter skin for females) is not present in this piece. It makes me wonder if it was created by someone who was not a part of the Egyptian culture and just wanted to appreciate it by drawing a piece. It is really cool that your family member actually brought this piece from Egypt!
ReplyDeleteHorus has the crown of the united Egypt, showing the unity of the upper and lower halves, King Horemheb has the distinctive pharaoh headdress, showing his status as ruler of Egypt, but what is the significance of Hathor's headdress?
ReplyDeleteMelodie, that is a great observation. Or it could be that since it is likely a more modern reproduction, the convention of gender coloring was not used. As for the horns and sun disk headdress, Hathor was considered the cow god and it is thought that one of her attributes was to hold the constellations in the sky (perhaps the sun was considered one of those stars).
ReplyDeleteVery cool piece of art! I'm curious as to when this was made, and what the Hieroglyphs translate to. The paper appears to be in strips, is it made of actual papyrus?
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