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A Guide To Ancient Egyptian Art
Ancient Egyptian Art
Egypt has been one of the earliest hubs of civilized man. Home the pharaohs and the pyramids; Egypt was the crucible of both art and architecture nearly 7000 years ago. Most of the population was concentrated along the coast of the river Nile and it was a prospering civilization with a well-structured hierarchy in administration and definite system of governance. The true essence of their civilization can be captured in their art that forms and integral part of their culture. With inscriptions and hieroglyphics on nearly all their structures, the entire story of ancient can be captured from these drawings and symbols.
The Different Types Of Art
King Mycerinus And Wife Egyptian Sculpture
Ancient Egyptian Art essentially refers to the style of painting, architecture, sculptures and crafts that were employed by the civilization that thrived on the banks of the River Nile between 5000 B.C and 300 A.D. This epoch in history was one of Egypt’s most prolific periods in the fields of architecture and painting. Home to engineering marvels such as the pyramids, Egypt was the heart of ancient discovery and invention for millennia with close to little or no outside influence. Here are some of the highlights of this monumental civilization.
Pottery
Ancient Egyptian Pottery
Ancient Egyptians extensively used pottery and covered them with vivid images. They were typically made of steatite, and varied in sizes, from small vases to large pots. They were the first to discover that coating a pot with enamel would largely increase the longevity of the pots while making it easier to paint them. The pots were usually used to contain body parts such as heart, liver, lungs and other body parts after they were duly removed and embalmed from the body of the person who would be mummified and then placed in a sarcophagus in the pyramid.
These usually contained images of various deities and also contained certain engravings which were supposed to be the carriers to the after world. They sometimes even contained images of various animals and these were as fairly taller than the other pottery which was usually kept along with the mummies and sometimes even extended to 6 feet.
Paper
Paper Used In Ancient Egypt
Paper, a word derived from the word papyrus, was first used by the Egyptians to record information about their culture and also contained illustrations of ancient Egyptian life. The pictorial script that was employed in these texts was the foundation for two of the most prominent scripts that later followed, the Arabic and Roman.
Paintings And Hieroglyphics
Despite the millennia since they were first painted, many Egyptian paintings have managed to survive till today thanks to the very dry climate of the region. Most of the paintings of the Egypt were part of the pyramids, which in turn were constructed as a gateway for the dead into the afterlife. As a result most of the paintings were aimed to make this journey easier, having themes which centered on the after world and the protective gods such as Osiris, the god of the underworld.
Wall Painting
Some of the paintings also depicted the life of person who was mummified in the pyramid. The Egyptian hieroglyphics was their primary script and was most commonly found alongside the paintings. The hieroglyphics were essentially a set of over 700 symbols which mostly resembled common place things such as animals and birds. They were typically used along with the other paintings tell the story of the live of the mummified people.
