The Inner Coffin Of Tutankhamuns Sarcophagus - Essay Example

Compare and contrast in great detail the Tutankhamun’s inner coffin sarcophagus compared against the Nike victory of Samothrace. Abstract The paper discusses the similarities and differences of Tutankhamun’s inner coffin sarcophagus with the Nike victory of Samothrace. It starts with the introduction of the topic and definition of the two. After which the paper describes what both entails and they are made. The significance of the topics to the society is elaborated thereafter and it followed with the comparison between the two1. Furthermore, it talks about the techniques and speaking styles that existed and the differences between the styles and techniques. Then it concludes with brief summary of the two main topics. Introduction Tutankhamun’s inner coffin sarcophagus The Tutankhamun tomb always contained four gilded shrines that are nested inside each other to decrease their sizes. A quartzite red Sarcophagus was inside the shrine that protected the three anthropoid coffins shaped by a man. Gilded wood was used to make the first two coffins but the final one was made of solid gold. This solid gold coffin was used to house King Tut mummy and the fabulous golden death mask. On the other hand, sarcophagus is defined as the stone container that is used to house a coffin to the Egyptian mummy. Generally, the word sarcophagus was the name of the stone coffins which were not sunk underground2. It is also known as ‘possessor of life’ that related to their belief of afterlife and deceased were eventually going to be reborn. Sarcophagus was mainly used as an external layer that protected the royal mummy of Tutankhamun body. It contained three netted layers of coffins which were anthropoid or man-shaped. Tutankhamun Sarcophagus was made of red quartzite; it is rectangular in shape measuring about nine feet high five feet wide and nine feet long. It is protected by a series of three gold Anthropoid coffins nested within each other. The Pharaoh Tutankhamun mummy was covered with a death mask. Each and every section of the king Tut web addresses all topics providing interesting information and facts about the Golden age pharaohs in Egypt. Nike victory of Samothrace In Greek mythology, Nike was the goddess of victory. Homers don’t personify Nike. It was discovered in 1863. It was created to both honors Nike the goddess and the sea battle. It usually conveys a sense of triumph and action. Moreover, it portrays artful drapery that flows through the futures which were considered ideal to the Greeks. The Samothrace winged victory was also called the Nike of Samothrace, a third century marble sculptor, presumably originated from Rhodian. Despite its incompleteness and significant damage, victory was considered a great surviving sculpture masterpiece from Hellenistic period. This statue shows mastery form of movement that impresses artists and critics since its discovery3. According to the Greeks, their victory goddess (Nike) was a very beautiful lady endowed with wings. The exceptional monument rose upon Samothrace isle that was set in a niche which overlooked the great god’s sanctuary and celebrate sea success. Here, the goddess stands on prow of galley; it resisted the gusty storm while putting her right arm high. This was an ex-voto of the victory by Rhodians which was won at the 2nd century start. Compare and contrast Tutankhamun’s inner coffin sarcophagus against the Nike victory of Samothrace. Tutankhamun coffin consist of gilded shrines nested one inside the other hence the innermost is covered with a stone sarcophagus while the Nike of Samothrace stood originally on the marble bow of a sculpted worship, a monument that commemorated a victory of naval. Inside the Tutankhamun, there are three coffins, the innermost being made of 110 kg of solid gold where Pharaoh body is being laid wearing the famous gold mask. However, Nike of Samothrace is designed in manner that seems as if she is landing a fierce headwind with her great wings still aloft. This monument is heavy with sea spray, both clings and dramatically billow hence was created to honor the goddess and the sea battle. Tutankhamuns contained a dazzling array of boats, gilded figures and canopic chest within which there are various internal organs that belong to the ancient king. Nike of Samothrace is seen as an iconic depiction of triumphant spirit and of a divine which comes face to face with a man. However, the power of the work is enhanced by the very fact that the head and the arms are missing4. Innermost coffin of Tutankhamum, the chest entails protective stance with four beautiful gilded figures of goddesses and just near the entrance to the room, there is a protective black figure of Anubis in the form of jackal recumbent. In the other hand, Nike stands on a block on top of the ship but originally she was standing on the ship. Her right arm which was raised in victory and illusion was of the ship in moving water and the semi-natural rock setting of grotto. Tutankhamum antechamber contain dismantled chariots, thrones, containers of food, various funerals couches and two black guardian figures at the entrance of the burial chamber. In the side of Nike head was missing with arms which are outstretched hence it was being resembled and rebuilt with the right wing being a symmetrical plaster cast version of the left. The coffin had been broken into two occasions and was resealed systematically by officials of the necropolis. Tutankhamum consist of Annex, Antechamber, Passage, Burial Chamber, Treasury, Staircase and four doorways while in the Nike of Samathrace it conveys triumph and action as well as portraying artful flowing drapery through which its characteristics and features are being regarded by the Greek as ideal beauty. Tutankhamun measures 1.88metres in length and vary in thickness from 25 to 3 centimeters. However the second or the middle of the three has a distinct different face which is represented on it from those of the first and gold coffin. In the other hand Nike of Samothrace was the daughter of the Titans, Pallas and Styx .She earned her title as a goddess of victory in war after being honored by the Supreme, Her image was traditionally associated with Athletics, victory in war and poetry contests. Her presence was invoked by the spirit of celebration and commemorated physical and moral excellence of men and gods. Tutankhamun, the breast was adorned with very delicate, broad collar of blue glass beads and various leaves, berries, fruits and berries that include pomegranates, which are sewn onto a papyrus backing. However, the gold covering varies in color so that the hands and the face were covered by a paler alloy. It was fitted with handles and was attached to the base by means of eight gold tongues, four on each side that dropped into sockets in the shell and was by using gold pins5. Both Tutankhamun’s and Nike victory were decorated or had parts made from stone. The sculpture of nick victory was made of semi-natural rock while the Tutankhanum’s tomb was made of sarcophagus a stone used to house the coffin. Both were considered to be holy and the Greek and Egyptians societies respected them for they involved goddess of their kingdoms. The Nike victory was a sculpture made to honor the hero’s of war in Greek while the Tutankhamun’s were the place where the pharaohs mummy were laid to rest after their death to await a next generation. It shows that both of them were involving the mighty and powerful in the society. Compare the differences in style speak and techniques used in the period they existed The Ancient Greece art was divided stylistically in three periods: classical, Archaic and Hellenistic. The Archaic was traditionally known as dark ages. The Persian wars onset is taken usually as diving line between Classical and Archaic periods, the Alexander reign is the one separating Hellenistic from Classical period. In reality, there is no sharp period to period transition. The forms of art were developed at varying speeds and different parts in the Greek world. The ancient Greek art survived the most successful forms of architecture and sculpture. From the period of Archaic, a great deal of the painted pottery survives; however, the remnants always give misleading feeling on the Greek artistic expression. In the archaic period statues never intended to represent actual individuals. The considered parts were depictions of ideal piety, beauty, sacrifice and honor. On the hand, Classical period was Greek revolution statuary that was usually associated with introduction of democracy and ending aristocratic culture which is associated with Kouroi6. It saws changes in function and style of the sculpture. Some of the known Hellenistic sculptures are winged victory of Samothrace. On the other hand, the Egyptian went through a phase called animatism and animism. The beliefs that someone believes that nearly all objects in the world have soul and personalities as humans. Their masks played a role in religious ceremonies. It is suggested that priests represented their gods by wearing masks. The masks were expensively gilded and among the accomplished were the royal funerary masks, few of the ones that survived. The techniques involved, nevertheless, were different from those used in the large-format painting. Even to the architecture and sculpture fields, a very few number of Greek artists survived. The sad fact was that, in ancient history, when marble was burned, it ended up producing lime; this was the fate of great bulk of the Greek marble statuary in middle ages. The fully mature black-figure technique is combined with white and red details and outlines and details incising. It originated in Corinth in early seventh century then introduced into Attica after a generation. To add on that, another technique was known as red-figure technique this was invented in 530 BC. It replaced black-figure style where larger vessels were engraved as well as being painted. Conclusion According to the paper, the Tutankhamun inner coffin sarcophagus and the Nike victory of Samothrace were the symbols with great significance in the societies involved. They were both holy and of great importance to the people. I.e. the sculpture of the Nick victory of Samothrace symbolizes Greeks victory over other nation after war and thus valued and respected for it is Greek heritage. On the other hand, Tutankhamun’s inner coffin sarcophagus was of great importance and valued by Egyptians. It comprises pure gold that symbolizes its value, it was the way used by Egyptians to honor the pharaoh’s mummy, and this indicated the importance and significance of the coffin to Egyptians. Work cited Reeves, Nicholas. The Complete Tutankhamun: The King, the Tomb, the Royal Treasure. London: Thames & Hudson, 1990.p 67 Arnold, Dieter.Building in Egypt: Pharaonic Stone Masonry. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.p 44 Matthias, Seidel. Egypt: The World of the Pharaohs. Cologne: Konemann, 1999. P 104 Pfeiffer, John. The Creative Explosion: An Inquiry into the Origins of Art and Religion. New York: Harper & Row, 1982.p 89 Ling, Roger. Ancient Mosaics. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. 1998. p 43 Davis, Whitney. The Canonical Tradition in Ancient Egyptian Art. New York: Cambridge University Press.1989.p 37 Roger, Aikin. Art History. California :University of California at Berkeley.1977.p 12        Read More