Questions and Answers
What is the fundamental principle of Egyptian art reflected in the pair of names of Egypt?
What is the symbolic meaning of the royal icon showing the king about to smite the enemy captives?
What is the function of the traditional image of the king on the outer walls of the temples?
What is the significance of the two plants, the lotus and the papyrus, in Egyptian art?
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What is one of the king's most important titles in Egyptian art?
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What is the characteristic of human figures in Egyptian art?
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What is the purpose of the registers in Egyptian composition?
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What is the significance of the edge of the cultivation land in Egyptian art?
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What is the term for the square grid system used in Egyptian art?
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What is the term for the traditional image of the king on the outer walls of the temples?
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Study Notes
The System of Registers
- Registers were used to organize large wall scenes in ancient Egyptian art
- Each register represents a separate stage of a process, distributed one above the other
- The narrative may begin at the top and continue towards the bottom, or vice versa
- Examples of registers can be seen in tomb walls, such as the tomb of Nakht (TT 52) and the tomb of Menna (TT 69)
The Narmer Palette
- The Narmer Palette is an example of the use of registers in the early Dynastic Period
- The main person (the blessed dead) often holds the registers together at the ends of the scene
Human Figures
- Formal figures of the elites should be shown in ideal form, without signs of disease, deformity, or old age
- Non-elite figures show a wide range of variation in their postures as they perform activities
- Female figures are usually slenderer with no muscles
Principles of Egyptian Art
- Duality or symmetry
- Symbolism
- Lack of depth and background
- Human figures
- Registers
- Scale
- Accompanying texts
- The guide lines (Old Kingdom)
- The square grid system (Middle Kingdom till Græco-Roman Period)
- Aspectives
Duality or Symmetry
- The concept of duality was reflected in the pair of names of Egypt: Kmt (the Black Land) and dšrt (the Red Land)
- The royal icon of the king smiting enemy captives symbolized the triumph of order over chaos
- The image was often presented on the outer walls of temples, and had an apotropaic function, protecting the temple interior from the outside world
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Description
Explore the concept of registers in ancient Egyptian art and architecture, including the Narmer Palette and tomb wall paintings, and discover how they were used to depict scenes and tell stories.
