Statue of Isis
Ancient Egyptian culture, throughout its many ups and downs, was consistently fixated around two features of their ethos: their pharaohs and their religion. In actuality these two aspects go hand in hand, as the pharaoh was typically believed to be a living god. These ideals stood the test of time throughout the dynastic Egyptian kingdom's period of influence, an era spanning from approximately 3000BCE until 30BCE . It was during the later part of this reign that the Statue of Isis, a funerary work that demonstrates the intransience of these principles, was believed to have been created. Created during the Late Period's Twenty-sixth Dynasty (664-525BCE) out of the material greywacke, this work has been preserved by the Egyptian Museum in Cairo as yet another testament to the culture and style of Egyptian art . One can deduct this through both visual examinations and investigating the piece's significance as an Egyptian sculpture. For that reason, through a formal analysis of the statue as well as a look at the background of the statue and it's time period, the Statue of Isis' relation to the ideals of Egyptian mythology and the entitlement of the pharaohs will become unmistakable. The Statue of Isis contains several ele
The content of the statue is extremely representational, as is the case with most Egyptian art, and is particularly explicit of Egyptian mythology. While the symbols represented are numerous, the explanation for what they stood for can be understood only after one becomes familiar with Egyptian iconology. Although the symbolism is not directly understood through observation, for the purpose of understanding how this statue's content affects its meaning the symbols will be defined as they are identified. Case in point, in her right hand Isis holds an ankh, the Egyptian hieroglyph for "life." Moreover, she wears a disk set between two horns, which is presumably representative of the sistrum, a musical instrument carried by the mother goddess Hathor . The sistrum rests atop a headdress which features a falcon, an animal identified with Mut who was yet another mother goddess . The last instance of iconography in the Statue of Isis is seen at it's base, where hieroglyphs are carved around the entire perimeter. Besides the symbols present to show the relation between Isis and her authority as a principal goddess in Egyptian mythology, it is also important to note the idealization of her figure. Isis is pictured slim, her belly button and nipples visible through her dress, and with faultless facial features. Tying back to the form of this piece, the idealization of Isis combined with the unified appearance of the statue's form creates an essentially idyllic image. Considering the date of the Statue of Isis was after the height of Egyptian influence, the idea that works such as these were still being created demonstrates the unremitting reverence the Egyptian culture bestowed upon their divinities. In order to better understand this work it is important to look at it in a historical sense by observing the style and culture of the period in which it was crafted. Part of the reason this work was chosen to be analyzed was due to how it appears to be a work from the earlier New and Middle Kingdoms. Accordingly, it was soon discovered the Statue of Isis was reflective of a period in which great cultural turbulence had created unfavorable conditions to the development of art, so much so that the traditions of their ancestors were readily applied. Moreso, as one of the last periods of Egyptian influence, this period marked
Some common words found in the essay are:
Statue Isis, Consequently Isis, Ancient Egyptian, Hathor Osiris, Museum Cairo, Saite Dynasty, Ancient Egyptian's, According Egyptian, statue isis, Isis Psamtik's, Saqqara Saite, egyptian mythology, mother goddess, egyptian culture, period statue, period statue isis, egyptian influence, iconography statue, solar disk, egyptian art, style culture, iconography statue isis, style culture period,
Approximate Word count = 1580
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
