Cultural Priorities by Walker Palmer

Akhenaten and His Family

bul24005 — 2024-11-25 18:45:08 UTC

Featured in this house altar is King Akhenaten with his wife, Nefertiti, and three of their five daughters. The sun in the top center is a symbol of Aten, the god during this period of Egyptian history. It's rays end in hands, representing the extension of life-giving power.

The three daughters each have an elongated head representing the blessing of power from Aten. They and their parents have outstretched arms towards Aten in the style of ankh.

This house altar features hierarchy of scale, with the king and queen being the prominent and most detailed figures. Their clothing has lines shallowly carved in to provide shape to the garments.

https://egypt-museum.com/house-altar-of-akhenaten-and-his-family/

Poppy Goddess

mav19001 — 2024-11-25 18:58:38 UTC

This piece is a figure representing a Poppy Goddess. Poppy Goddesses are a type of terracotta artwork that are believed to represent Goddesses. These figures always have raised hands and ornaments on their heads. Some have birds or horns, but this one has poppies.

Arms raised like this with palms opened is called the epiphany gesture, almost like they’re reaching up, or greeting someone, or granting a blessing.

Each figure also had a round, “skirt”, shaped by a potter’s wheel, and some also have feet poking out of their skirts. There is also a hole in each of these figures, either on the head or the ears, but whether it had religious meaning or was for practical use (so that it wouldn’t break when being shaped) could vary from statue to statue.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poppy_goddess

Larnax, Early Minoan, hunting scene,

mav19001 — 2024-11-25 19:06:15 UTC

Cup-Bearer Fresco

mav19001 — 2024-11-25 21:16:41 UTC

Mural composition from the Palace of Thebes

mav19001 — 2024-11-25 21:17:59 UTC

This scene depicts a religious ritual, where female worshippers would have a procession toward a shrine, temple, altar, or other religious building. They hold offerings such as lilies, roses, jewelry, and a vase. All but one are moving the same direction, as if the right-most figure is the deity the other women are heading towards, but this is debatable as Myceneans did not represent their gods as humans, so it is more likely that the right-most figure is a religious leader like a preistess. Religious rituals included sacrifices, feasts, and burials. Processions often came before these kinds of religious rituals.

https://www.mthv.gr/en/permanent-exhibition/mycenaean-period/#image-9

Two Musicians from the Tomb of Rekhmire

mav19001 — 2024-11-25 21:19:12 UTC

This piece of work shows a scene from a funeral where two musicians are playing a harp and a mandora. The tomb this piece was found in is very decorated with vivid scenes from the daily lives of the Egyptian people. Music was a big part of everyday life in Egypt. In rituals, in their military, the Egyptians believed that music was a way to commune with the Gods, and also believed that the Gods had invented music.

Today, this tomb is considered a historical landmark, located in Thebes along the Nile river

https://www.mediastorehouse.com/fine-art-finder/artists/isaac-luttichuys/musicians-tomb-rekhmire-23223234.html

Granary relief

mav19001 — 2024-11-25 21:20:16 UTC

Grain played a major role in Egypt. The Nile would flood and make the plains suitable for growing crops. Mainly grains like wheat and barely. This made grain the primary food source, and a big part of the economy. Egyptians would trade, and be taxed with grain. Surplus grain would be stored in silos for in times of hardships like famines and droughts. This relief shows a man carrying a bag of grain up to a silo to be stored. Archeologists believe this relief comes from the temple Mentuhotep II at Deir el Bahri

https://www.albanyinstitute.org/collection/details/relief-carving-of-a-granary

Sennedjem and Iineferti in the Fields of Iaru

mav19001 — 2024-11-25 21:23:05 UTC

This is a tempera painting of the artisan Sennedjem and his wife Iineferti harvesting grain in the Fields of Iaru.This was found in Sennedjem’s tomb, and it illustrates spell 110 from the Book of the Dead, which was the idea that those who had done good works, “ploughing therein, reaping and eating therein, drinking therein, copulating therein, and doing everything that was once done on earth by the reader” would go to a paradise of a field of reeds.

This piece is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in it's New Kingdom Egyptian section.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/548354

Conserving Antiquity

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 15:11:55 UTC

An exhibition on the conserving of ancient or old relics. It educates the readers on the techniques and the reasons behind cultural and archeological conservation

New Egyptian works at the MET

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 16:41:59 UTC

Statue of two men and a boy

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 16:50:57 UTC

Each figure here is a male figure, with various interpretations. Some think this represents a grandfather, a father, and a son. Others might say that the piece is about the three stages of life. Which are Youth, Adulthood, and Age.However, the three-stages of life idea is most likely not what the piece represents.

Another thought is that the left-most figure is an individual with a higher status, and someone that the man and the boy are related to, or even respected by. The Metropolitan Museum of Art says “The statuette would have received veneration in the household of its owner”

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/544683

Mycenaen Works at the Museum of Thebes

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 18:58:30 UTC

Egyptian works at the Albany Institute of History and Art

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 19:00:39 UTC

Warrior Krater

bul24005 — 2024-11-26 20:07:11 UTC

This krater features a row of soldiers marching, each carrying a spear and a shield. The pot is painted with at least three colors, being dark brown, yellow, and white. The rim of the krater is dark brown, with stripes of light brown, red, dark brown, natural clay, and red.

The soldiers face straight to the right with almost no expression. All body parts are also placed facing right except for the eyes, which face toward the viewer. Their clothes are mostly dark brown in color, but some spots are left bare to form little dots in the skirt and helmet.

Smarthistory – Warrior Krater

Egyptian works (print shop)

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 20:29:57 UTC

Artist's Gridded Sketch of Senenmut

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 20:46:43 UTC

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/547684

Bronze female figure

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 20:48:50 UTC

This bronze sculpture appears to be a woman with one hand placed on her forehead and the other hand at her side. This hand is fused to the skirt, possibly for stability. She has no distinguishable facial features, but this may be because the piece is rusted. The hair seems to be pulled back into a bun at the top, then allowed to run down her back.

Proportionally, her skirt is about the same length as her hand, and her head is just a little larger than her upper arm. The feet are not far from the bottom of the skirt and are fused together, most likely to keep the piece stable.

She appears to have a belt around the waist made of two separate ropes. The figure's skirt is bell-shaped.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/251557

Bronze Male Figure

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 20:49:46 UTC

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/252410

"Ladies in Blue" fresco

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 20:53:06 UTC

This is a reproduction of a fresco from the palace of Knossos on the island of Crete. The original work was partially destroyed, but a few fragments remained and were found by Sir Arthur John Evans, and then the fresco was recreated by Emile Gillieron, a swiss artist and archaeologist. His reproductions have debate surrounding them regarding the validity of his work because of how little of the original pieces were left. The piece now has bright colors and shows three women with elaborate hairstyles and dresses, most likely three high-class women gossiping amongst themselves.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/258137

Cylinder seal and modern impression: Master of Animals between lions, griffins, Minoan genius

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 21:02:35 UTC

This stone carved stone cylinder is a seal meant to be rolled into soft clay to show ownership or aid in identification and record transactions. The modern impression shows a central hero figure confronting many real and mythical animals

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/327819

Amphoroid krater

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 21:05:34 UTC

This krater is tan with red detailing. There is a thick band of red at the top and bottom, with a smaller one above the bottom band. The middle and three quarters of the way down has three more bands each. The main painting is between the top stripe and the middle ones.

The main painting features two chariots each being pulled by two horses. There is some kind of plant growing in between the chariots. One chariot has one figure, while the main chariot has two. They both have a cloak with dots. Around the chariots, abstract shapes with lines inside float in the air.

https://smarthistory.org/intro-mycenaean-art/

Myecenaen Art at Smarthistory,com

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 21:06:07 UTC

Lion Gate

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 21:07:51 UTC

https://smarthistory.org/lion-gate-mycenae/

Mask of Agamemnon

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 21:09:44 UTC

The mask is made of hammered gold. It shows a man's face with his eyes closed, seemingly at piece. The sides of the face are forward facing, so the ears are sticking straight out on each side, with the beard similarly flattened. The nose is very straight and pointed and the lips are thin. The beard and eyebrows are raised from the skin and have small indentations used to indicate hairs. The eyebrows are orderly while the beard hair is more shallowly carved and randomly placed.

Although not much of the top of the head is shown, it's implied that there is a crown or headpiece.

https://smarthistory.org/mask-of-agamemnon/

Snake Goddess

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 21:11:37 UTC

The skirt of the sculpture features different colors, with darker ones at the bottom and lighter colors at the top. She has an apron swooping down in the center and shorter at the sides. It has a pattern of diamonds at the bottom. Her shirt also has a pattern made of triangles on the stomach and sleeves. The blouse is open in the front, showing her breasts. She wears a hat with flowers along the side.

The figure is folding two snakes, one in each hand, and has a cat crouched on her hat. Her face does not express much emotion, but she does seem to be young.

https://smarthistory.org/snake-goddess/

Harvester Vase

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 21:12:34 UTC

https://smarthistory.org/harvester-vase/

Minoan Art at Smarthistory.com

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 21:13:28 UTC

Heraklion Museum

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 23:15:33 UTC

Ring of Minos

mav19001 — 2024-11-26 23:51:26 UTC

A gold ring found by a boy near the tomb of Knossos in a field. It is the largest signet ring found in Crete. It’s believed that this belongs to a high-class ruler who had some religious or secular authority. It features figures with tree branches, where the female to the left is pulling one down from a brick wall, and the other seems to be offering a deity, fruit from a branch he’s pulled down. The deity seems to be floating in the air, and another representation of a deity sailing the sea can be seen in the lower part with the stepped altar and sacred horns

https://heraklionmuseum.gr/exhibit/to-daktylidi-tou-minoa

Egyptian daily life, Curatorial Thesis pt 2

mav19001 — 2024-11-27 01:07:21 UTC

In the Egyptian New Kingdom, daily life is rich with agriculture and religion. Farming crops that had been nourished by the Nile, worshipping Gods with offerings, games, and music. These people had strong family ties, even depicting Gods having families. Everyday mundane life in Egypt is good.

write a bit more about the Egyptians and how their daily life is shown in art

link to full thesis

mav19001 — 2024-11-27 01:18:02 UTC

check the word count here

Minoan daily life, thesis part 3

mav19001 — 2024-11-27 01:23:44 UTC

Minoan life is centered on the Island of Crete. Agriculture field their economy, and mostly produced olives. They had a large trade network, their artists loved creating works inspired by nature, and the people lived in large homes that even had running water. It’s a vibrant society with vibrant art. Vases, frescoes, and figurines make up the majority of their artworks. There is a large focus on women in these artworks, and they were often associated with powerful deities

(write a bit more if word count is too low)

Mycenaens, Thesis Part 4

mav19001 — 2024-11-27 01:31:21 UTC

For the Mycenaeans, there is a strict social hierarchy with a king, military, artisans, workers, and slaves. Each status defined the role one would have in their society. The higher up someone was on the ladder, the more elaborately they’d live and die. The houses and tombs of the rich were very decorated. Their art was mostly focused on the religious and the rituals. Like ceremonies and battles and hunting. There is not much work that shows the people’s daily lives. The Mycenaeans valued war and conquest. and this shows in the artwork salvaged from this period.

Octopus Vase

walkerpalmer1 — 2024-11-27 01:42:10 UTC

The Minoans created the marine-style first, probably because they had so much experience being on the sea due to their trade networks, or in conjunction with an important food source. Many other countries imitated the style, but none were as skilled at it as the Minoans. The Mycenaean's were a much more war-like, masculine culture and much of their artwork relates as much. However, their desire to copy the Minoans and create similar artwork shows that they had some respect for the agriculturally minded Minoans, and they recognized the value of their artwork. Theirs was not a completely nationalist society, and they did not mind adapting their society to include beautiful things from outside of their own realm. However, the artwork above is much more symmetrical, stiff, and generally less wild than it's Minoan counterpart. They still had styles and traditions that they held to whilst also trying out new ideas and trends from neighboring societies.

https://quatr.us/greeks/minoan-mycenaean-pottery.htm

Voyages

walkerpalmer1 — 2024-11-27 02:05:40 UTC

Delves into the discoveries and new knowledges uncovered by different voyages throughout history, whether they be physical, mental exploration, or creative thought. The exhibition spans five centuries and includes antique books, manuscripts, art, and artifacts.

Psi, Tau, Phi Women

walkerpalmer1 — 2024-11-27 02:32:00 UTC

Found in large quantities at Mycenaen grave sites, religious shrines, and various sanctuaries, these mass-produced and heavily abstracted women figures have been theorized to be small idols for a female goddess cult, or perhaps represent the worshipers. The women are recognizable by the presence of breasts, decorated shawls, and pony-tail style hair. The faces are pinched with small slits for eyes, and the women are called psi, tau, and phi women because their shapes can be compared to these letters of the greek alphabet.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/698244

Vapheio Cup

walkerpalmer1 — 2024-11-27 03:03:26 UTC

This is one of a pair of beautifully decorated gold cups from a kingly tomb (probably belonging to Pharis). They are significant examples of ancient metalwork, showcasing the artistic and technical skills of the craftsmen from the region of Greece during this period. The cups reflect both aesthetic beauty and cultural narratives, linking them to the broader tradition of metalworking that includes jewelry, armor, and various vessels. Much like the Mask of Agamemnon, they are made of pounded sheets of gold, and reshaped into a vessel after being decorated. The cups depict bulls being captured or hunted, and possibly reflect men's power over the aggressive bull. The bulls were revealed and respected in the Mycenaen culture.

https://www.worldhistory.org/Mycenaean_Art/

Tomb of Agamemnon

walkerpalmer1 — 2024-11-27 04:02:39 UTC

It is the largest and most elaborate tholos tomb known to have been constructed in the Aegean Bronze Age. The main tomb consisted of a circular burial chamber, or thalamos, topped with a corbelled dome. The tomb was the highest corbelled dome in the world until the Roman period and presents a megalithic structure that was becoming more and more common. The entrance stands surmounted by a relieving triangle decorated with relief plaques, and the tomb itself is 13.5 meters tall by 14.5 meters wide. A small side chamber hewn out of rock contained the burials, whereas the main chamber was probably reserved for ritual use.

https://www.world-archaeology.com/features/treasury-of-atreus-at-mycenae/

Bull-Leaping Fresco

walkerpalmer1 — 2024-11-27 04:09:25 UTC

The focal point is a man on top of a bull. There is a woman to either side, which seem to be cheering for the man. Thick lines border the piece, framing it in. Ovals in alternating white, blue, black, yellow, red are layered on top of each other, forming large scallops. Thinner lines of white, yellow, and red separate this from the figures.

The fresco is very colorful, mostly blues and yellows. The man is dark red and the women are white. The bull is a white with yellowish brown spots invading around the edges. Fine lines of black outline each figure and provide details of hair, boots, and facial features. Each human wears a loincloth, and both women have bracelets.

Abu Simbel

walkerpalmer1 — 2024-11-27 18:58:59 UTC

The Great Temple stands 98 feet high and 115 feet long with four seated statues flanking the entrance, two to each side, depicting Ramesses II on his throne; each one 65 feet tall. Beneath these giant figures are smaller statues depicting Ramesses' conquered enemies, the Nubians, Libyans, and Hittites. Other statues represent his family members and various protecting gods and symbols of power. Passing between the statues at the central entrance, the interior of the temple is decorated with engravings showing Ramesses and Nefertari paying homage to the gods. There are a lot of respect shown to the Gods at these temples, and including the Pharaoh and his wife with those gods attest to the tradition that they were gods themselves. The conquered enemies having representations within the temple might mean that Egypt thought of them as family that the gods would now protect after their defeat at the hands of the Egyptians, or perhaps they only make an appearance to showcase the strength and power of the Egyptians.

https://www.worldhistory.org/Abu_Simbel/

Luxor Temple

walkerpalmer1 — 2024-11-27 19:25:41 UTC

The temple was built by Amenhotep III (1390-52 BC) but completed by Tutankhamun (1336-27 BC) and Horemheb (1323-1295 BC) and then added to by Rameses II (1279-13 BC). The temple has been in almost continuous use as a place of worship right up to the present day.

Consists of multiple courts, many pillars, an avenue of sphinx guardian statues, one of the original two pylon at the front gate, and obelisks. Luxor temple is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship; it may have been where many of the pharaohs of Egypt were crowned in reality or conceptually. We can deduce that this was a very special place for the kings and pharaohs of Egypt, and I wonder if the location of the temple had anything to do with the reason they were crowned there.

https://discoveringegypt.com/luxor-temple/

Head of Ahmose 1

walkerpalmer1 — 2024-11-27 19:33:56 UTC

This slightly over-lifesize head represents Ahmose I wearing the white crown, a symbol of upper Egypt. The face is broad and relatively flat, with a taut, smiling mouth. These features seem to be influenced by representations of Mentuhotep II (Ahmose's predecessor) whose statues still would have been prominent at Thebes in Ahmose's time. The large, slanting, prominent eyes, however, convey an intensity that seems to herald the energetic Thutmoside style of Dynasty 18. We can see that naturalism and individualism were not high on the list of priorities of these ancient Egyptians, and instead relied on special clothing to show the rank or importance of a person. Of course, I'm sure that not everyone could afford a bust of themselves anyway, but the headpiece allows the viewer to instantly recognize this man as one of the long line of pharaohs. They may not have been very concerned with individualistic features since all of the pharaohs were simply another vessel for the same gods to inhabit over and over again.

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/547950

Nebamun Receiving Wine

walkerpalmer1 — 2024-11-27 19:47:42 UTC

Banquets happened during funerals or at celebratory occasions, such as the Beautiful Festival of the Valley. Guests at banquets are usually depicted with fine clothing and elaborate jewelry, and in a state of eternal youth.

The facsimile here shows the right part of one large banquet scene (for the left part see 30.4.105). On the right, the largest figure depicts the deceased, the sculptor Nebamun, with his immediate family members, while other attendees are featured in smaller sizes to the left. Standing before him is a female figure—Henutnefret, his wife or sister—who hands him a bowl of wine with the words "Drink and make a happy day!" Attendees often consumed an excessive amount of alcohol during these celebrations, notably in rites of drunkenness performed during certain religious festivals.

This painting uses a hierarchal scale to show who is the most important person of the painting. Composite pose also plays a large part of the drawing styles of the time, using hieroglyphs to give context and tell a story.

https://app.smartify.org/en-GB/objects/nebamun-receiving-wine

Egyptian Works at Egypt Museum

bul24005 — 2024-11-28 03:52:15 UTC