The Alabaster Sistrum Inscribed with the Name of King Teti - Essay Example

The Alabaster Running head: OBJECT OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST The Alabaster Sistrum Inscribed with the of King Teti of Client of University Name of Class The Alabaster 2 The Alabaster Sistrum Inscribed with the Name of King Teti Of the observed objects at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the alabaster sistrum that is inscribed with the name of King Teti is unusual and beautiful to see. The sistrum is an instrument that creates a rattling sound and is used for religious purposes. The sistrum shows signs of the pigment that was used to paint the object which is a common practice on three dimensional pieces of the period, although very few pieces still have such decoration. The goddess who is celebrated on the sistrum is Hathor and a portion of the inscription says ‘Beloved of Hathor’ near a second inscription of the name of Teti (Metropolitan, 2009). As an object of great beauty from a time that is so very different from the current age, the sistrum is a symbol of a cultural point of view that creates an imagined world of mystery and opulence. A sistrum was used in religious ceremonies and rites in order to create a rhythmic sound that would enhance the experience of the celebrants. According to Forest (2001), the “ancient Egyptian term for ’to play the sistrum,’ iri sekhem, literally meant ’to do power’ (p. 305). The rattling sound of the sistrum was intended to created a raised level of energy and power that could contribute to the religious experience with a sense of magic. The instrument can be used for the intent of raising and creating power, banishing evil and bad spirits, and for intensifying religious fervor (Forest, 2001, 309). The use of the instrument was primarily associated with the deities Hathor and Isis, although many other deities were celebrated with the item. The beauty of this piece is in the delicate carving in the alabaster. While the item was undoubtedly painted during its original use, the exquisite, uncovered alabaster has an ethereal quality that gives it the illusion of an otherworldly presence. The piece has a handle that is carved in the form of a papyrus stalk that is then transformed into an open flower where a small shrine The Alabaster 3 can be seen. On top of the shrine is a sculpture of a falcon and a hooded cobra (Metropolitan, 2009). The part of the piece that would rattle is gone, but the intent of the object can still be understood to those who have a working knowledge of the purpose of a sistrum. The artistry involved in creating a piece must be appreciated for the skill that must be used in carving the delicate images into the stone. While alabaster is durable, the stone carves easily and allows for the intricacy that is necessary for the piece to be revealed. As a piece of art, the sistrum is a fine example of ancient Egyptian art using the techniques and the motifs that are familiar in the time period. It is representational for the use of the papyrus stalk, lotus flower, falcon and cobra images. Because it is used in the religious ceremonies, it can be seen as socially representational as it symbolizes emotional experiences of the time period. The piece is of importance as it brings to a point the concept that the culture of this ancient time period was very different. How daily life was conducted is not the same as the way in which it is approached in this modern era. The point of view from which life was seen had a differing aspect that cannot be fully understood as modern anthropologists, art historians, and sociologists attempt to interpret how life was experienced. Basic human functions were obviously similar in that the people of the culture ate, slept, mated, and socialized, but understanding a culture from outside of that culture is very different than understanding it from the perspective off a member of that society. This piece evokes enough mystery that it can remind those who study it that the culture from which it comes is a very different society than a modern mind can fully comprehend. The piece is a reminder that studying the artifacts and writings of a culture will never fully reveal the secret of what it was to experience that culture and time. The Alabaster 4 References Forrest, M. I. (2001). Isis magic: Cultivating a relationship with the goddess of 10,000 names. St. Paul, Minn: Llewellyn Publications. Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2009). Egyptian art in the age of the pyramids. Retrieved on 11 May 2009 from http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/new_pyramid/PYRAM IDS/HTML/el_pyramid_sistrum.htm Slobodkin, L. (1973). Sculpture; principles and practice. New York: Dover Publications. Strudwick, N., & Leprohon, R. J. (2005). Texts from the pyramid age. Leiden [u.a.]: Brill. http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0514/2005016982.html. Alabaster Sistrum with the Name of King Teti (Metropolitan, 2009) From Under 1 Running head: BABYLONIAN EXHIBITION PIECE From Under the Water: Nude Female Figure from Uluburun Shipwreck Name of Client Name of University Name of Class From Under 1 From Under the Water: Nude Female Figure from Uluburun Shipwreck The Uluburan shipwreck off the coast of southern Turkey was a treasury of wealth and ancient artifacts. Between 1984 and 1992, archeologists George Bass and Cemal Pulak used sophisticated techniques to carefully reveal the contents of the cargo. The ship held mostly raw materials intended for trade such as copper and tin. However, among the raw materials were also artifacts of an artistic nature that were salvaged, some of which are now displayed in the special exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the special exhibit, Beyond Babylon: Art, Trade, and Diplomacy in the Second Millennium B.C. One of the more interesting pieces is the Nude Female Figure, which is a small bronze and gold figure measuring just 6.5 inches in height and 2 3/8 approximate inches in width. A treasure from such a shipwreck is an example of the trade and interconnections that were established during the second millennium B.C. Babylonia had a great many deficits in each territorial access to materials so therefore needed to participate in a great deal of trade in order to have the items needed for building and survival. According to Saggs (2000), the area lacked metals, building stone, precious stones, and good quality timber which hampered its ability to build and create (p. 100). The solution to these deficits was to engage in trade and plunder in order to fill the needs. Because of a good irrigation system, food was in good supply and the Babylonians were able to trade food for their needed building materials (Archibald & Gabrielson, 2001, p. 164). Babylonia also established itself as a distributor for other nations as they resold items in trade between nations. The Uluburan ship that was discovered off the coast of Turkey was carrying tin and copper, plus a wealth of art and treasure which indicates that it might have held a royal cargo. Bass and Pulak determined that the direction of the ship indicates that it was most likely headed From Under 2 for Mesopotamia and the Babylonians (Fagan, 1999, p. 259). The tin was most likely from central Turkey or Afghanistan which would fit into the apparent position that Babylonia held as a distributor of goods to other trade nations (Archibald & Gabrielson, 2001, p. 164). The Nude Female Figure from the shipwreck has been age determined to be from approximately 1300 B.C. (Metropolitan, 2009). The figure is created was cast from bronze and used a lost-wax method of casting. Gold overlay embellishes the figure and acts as decoration. She is quite possibly representational of a deity and could be the Canaanite goddess Asherah who is considered a protectress of sailors and was kept on board a ship to watch over a crew (Metropolitan, 2009). On this trip, however, she did not manage to save the ship and her crew from disaster. The figure reveals that she was intended to stand on a base, but the base and the attachment piece are no longer there. This figure, possibly a deified representation from Canaan, found on a ship full of Turkish or Afghani tin amongst a variety of treasure, is an example of the trade that was conducted during the second millennium B.C. The cargo shows a variety of nations in its treasures and holds raw materials that would most likely only be intended for trade. The fact that the piece was on a trade vessel gives it value for representing the time period and its interconnected cultural crossover that was the result of being exposed to a variety of cultures. The lost-wax method of casting was practiced in Mesopotamia during the second millennium B.C. so even its foundational methodology of creation is representational of the time (Andrews, 1988, p. 247). As an artifact of a time period of great trade and commerce, the social and cultural implications of religious intention, combined with the richness of the casting, gives this piece an importance found in the depths of an ocean that doesn’t easily give up its treasures. From Under 3 References Andrews, O. (1988). Living materials: A sculptors handbook. Berkeley. Archibald, Z & Gabrielsen, V. (2001). Hellenistic Economies. New York: Routledge. Fagan, B. M. (1999). From black land to fifth sun: The science of sacred sites. Reading, Mass: Perseus Books. Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2009). Beyond Babylon: Art, Trade, and Diplomacy in the Second Millennium B.C. Retrieved on 11 May 2009 from http://www.metmuse um.org/spec ial/beyond_babylon/view_1.asp?item=9 Saggs, H. W. F. (2000). Babylonians. Berkeley: University of California Press. Nude Female Figure from Uluburun Shipwreck (Metropolitan, 2009). Read More