Ancient Egyptian block statue (gabbro with traces of pigment) of Neskhemenyu, son of Kapefha. Artist unknown; 4th cent. BCE (early Ptolemaic period). From a cache at the Temple of Amun, Thebes; now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Egyptian. Hairdressing Scene, ca. 2008-1957 B.C.E. (Middle Kingdom, Late Dynasty XI)
Limestone, pigment (tomb relief)
13.2 x 24.5 cm
These fragments originally belonged to a scene showing royal hairdressers attending Queen Neferu (see accompanying reconstruction). The relief on the right depicts Neferu, identified as “The King’s Wife,” wearing an elaborate beaded collar. Behind her the hairdresser Henut has already pinned one strand of hair in place and twists another one. The relief on the left depicts the hairdresser Inu holding a triple lock of hair that she will attach to Neferu’s coiffure.
Being able to tell the difference between the many Gods and Goddesses of ancient Egypt can be difficult. Many of their traits overlap and, with the progress of time, many of them have changed from the Old Kingdom up to the Grecian occupation. So let’s look at some of the more common Gods and how to identify them.
Osiris
Osiris is quite identifiable. He is a God with green skin (though this trait is shared with several others) and he bears the white crown of Upper Egypt. He is also represented as a mummified man, meaning he is clad in white linen wrappings. He wears a collar, a royal beard, and holds a crook and flail. His name in hieroglyphs is easy to remember as it is only the Eye of Ra, the throne of Egypt, and then the determinative that this is a royal name.
Thoth
Thoth is also a very identifiable God because he is one of the only Gods with an ibis head. However, he is also sometimes portrayed as a full baboon, but rarely as a human with a baboon head. He often carries an ankh with him. Above him, he can sometimes wear the Atef crown—the double crown of lower and upper Egypt—but commonly bears a lunar disk type crown that rests on a crescent moon. His name in hieroglyphs can be quite long but there is, fortunately, a short version which is very easy to identify, as it is made up of an ibis, a loaf of bread, and two slash marks. Like Osiris and all other gods, there is a determinative that shows this is a God’s name.
Used traditionally as an amulet worn, carried, or used as an offering. It is modeled after a plant called wadj, meaning green. Meant to invoke vitality and regeneration.
Marble statue of the jackal-headed god Anubis (Hermanubis), associated with mummification and the afterlife, holding the Caduceus of Hermes in his left hand.
In classical mythology, Hermanubis was a god who combined Hermes (Greek mythology) with Anubis (Egyptian mythology). He is the son of Seth and Nephthys. 2nd Century AD. Now in the Vatican Museums and Galleries.
Hierakonpolis, Egypt, Predynastic, ca. 3000–2920 bce.
The Predynastic period ended with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt, which until recently scholars thought occurred during the rule of the First Dynasty pharaoh Menes, identified by many Egyptologists with King Narmer. Narmer’s image and name appear on both sides of a ceremonial palette(stone slab with a circular depression) found at Hierakonpolis. The palette is one of the earliest historical (versus prehistorical) artworks preserved, but Egyptologists still debate exactly what event is depicted. No longer regarded as commemorating the foundation of the first of Egypt’s 31 dynasties around 2920 BCE (the last ended in 332 BCE), the reliefs probably record the unification of the two kingdoms. Scholars now believe this unification occurred over several centuries, but the palette depicts the creation of the “Kingdom of the Two Lands” as a single great event. (x)
Fred Wilson, Grey Area (Brown Version), 1993 brooklynmuseum
A recent article announced that archaeologists think they found Nefertiti’s tomb which reminded me of a contemporary work of art I had seen at the Brooklyn Museum. Artist Fred Wilson’s work is relevant to us today on so many levels.
“ Fred Wilson often appropriates art objects to explore issues of race, gender, class, politics, and aesthetics. Made up of the portrait heads of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti, Grey Area (Brown Version) refers to one of the most copied works of ancient civilization. The otherwise identical plaster effigies, which he purchased and painted, illustrate a value scale ranging in color from oatmeal to dark chocolate. Thus, Wilson raises, but does not answer, controversial questions about the racial identity of ancient Egyptians.
In both his provocative, groundbreaking installations in cultural institutions and in his studio work, Wilson encourages viewers to recognize how changes in context create changes in meaning. He has said of his practice, “I use beauty as a way of helping people to receive difficult or upsetting ideas. The topical issues are merely a vehicle for making one aware of one’s own perceptual shift -which is the real thrill.” - Gallery Label
