Ancient Egyptian Art
Ancient Egyptian culture has always fascinated me. Be it the Egyptian’s dedication to their gods or their skillfully constructed pyramids, I have always admired their work ethic. One thing in particular that has caught my attention is their beautiful art: statues, jewelry, everything of that kind.
Egyptian art was always made with one thing in mind: ma’at. Ma’at was the Egyptian goddess of truth, justice, and balance and was central to ancient Egyptian civilization. (Mark, Ma’at) They believed that this balance “came into being when the gods made the ordered universe out of undifferentiated chaos”. (Mark, Ancient) The concept of oneness was described as the chaos, but the gods brought in duality: light and dark, male and female, day and night to be regulated by ma’at. This is why all of Egyptian art, jewelry, even their construction of houses and temples focused so much on balance and duality, and especially symmetry. They put a lot of time and effort into perfecting their arts symmetry and function in the afterlife on a daily basis.
Egyptian art was always made with one thing in mind: ma’at. Ma’at was the Egyptian goddess of truth, justice, and balance and was central to ancient Egyptian civilization. (Mark, Ma’at) They believed that this balance “came into being when the gods made the ordered universe out of undifferentiated chaos”. (Mark, Ancient) The concept of oneness was described as the chaos, but the gods brought in duality: light and dark, male and female, day and night to be regulated by ma’at. This is why all of Egyptian art, jewelry, even their construction of houses and temples focused so much on balance and duality, and especially symmetry. They put a lot of time and effort into perfecting their arts symmetry and function in the afterlife on a daily basis.
A widely known part of Egyptian culture is their focus on death, and what comes after. Their beliefs focus on living after death, often called the afterlife. Most of Egyptian art was made for use in the afterlife. In the early eras of Egyptian civilization, artists hand-crafted statues and Shabti dolls to act as helpers for the deceased, protecting and caring for them. These shabti dolls would essentially do all the work and chores for a person, allowing them to relax in the afterlife. (Mark, Brief) Many years later these statues began to be mass-produced, and became more affordable for everyone, not just the wealthy.
One of the most expensive art forms in Egypt was beautifully detailed jewelry. Almost every person living in Egypt had worn some amount of this jewelry. Egyptian jewelry was made symmetrically and with lots of big shapes and symbols. Many of these symbols included scarab beetles, the eye of Horus’, falcons, and serpents. (Gregorietti) Egyptian jewelry was made mostly out of real gold, with gems, and colorful blue and turquoise stones. To Egyptians, jewelry was as important in death as it was in life. A common practice was to bury someone with their treasures and especially wearing jewelry. They believed these treasures would help the deceased in their afterlife.
One of the most expensive art forms in Egypt was beautifully detailed jewelry. Almost every person living in Egypt had worn some amount of this jewelry. Egyptian jewelry was made symmetrically and with lots of big shapes and symbols. Many of these symbols included scarab beetles, the eye of Horus’, falcons, and serpents. (Gregorietti) Egyptian jewelry was made mostly out of real gold, with gems, and colorful blue and turquoise stones. To Egyptians, jewelry was as important in death as it was in life. A common practice was to bury someone with their treasures and especially wearing jewelry. They believed these treasures would help the deceased in their afterlife.
Sources
Gregorietti, Guido. “Jewelry.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc, 29 January 2019. Web. 10 Feb 2020. https://www.britannica.com/art/jewelry/Egyptian
Mark, Joshua J. "A Brief History of Egyptian Art." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 30 May 2017. Web. 10 Feb 2020. https://www.ancient.eu/article/1077/a-brief-history-of-egyptian-art/
Mark, Joshua J. "Ancient Egyptian Art." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 26 May 2017. Web. 10 Feb 2020. https://www.ancient.eu/Egyptian_Art/
Mark, Joshua J. "Ma'at." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 15 Sep 2016. Web. 10 Feb 2020. https://www.ancient.eu/Ma'at/
Mark, Joshua J. "A Brief History of Egyptian Art." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 30 May 2017. Web. 10 Feb 2020. https://www.ancient.eu/article/1077/a-brief-history-of-egyptian-art/
Mark, Joshua J. "Ancient Egyptian Art." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 26 May 2017. Web. 10 Feb 2020. https://www.ancient.eu/Egyptian_Art/
Mark, Joshua J. "Ma'at." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 15 Sep 2016. Web. 10 Feb 2020. https://www.ancient.eu/Ma'at/