The Seated Scribe, By Egypt Fourth Dynasty Essay - 1201 Words

The Seated Scribe The seated scribe is a sculpture made in 2500 B.C.E in Saqqara, Egypt fourth dynasty. This piece of artwork can explain a lot about the society it came from which makes it significant. In the following paragraphs I will address; what makes it unique? Who it was found by? The impact this had on our understanding of the piece, and modern interpretations of Egyptian art. First here’s a description: The seated scribe is 1’9† high and is made from limestone; it’s typical of an Egyptian sculpture in that it’s painted. He sits with perfect posture; cross legged, head facing forward, hand ready to write although his brush is missing. His eyes are a complex structure (I will go into further detail in page 3 paragraph 2). He wears a simple white cloth resembling what we might call a skirt. What makes the sculpture different from others of this time period are two things; the subject matter, in that it depicts no god, nor Pharaoh only a mortal human writing in a mostly illiterate society. Secondly it demonstrates age shown in sagging muscles and rotund belly. Due to this relaxed style we can gather that the subject is not a Pharaoh as it was dishonourable to insinuate that they aged as they were supposed to be gods on earth. According to the Louvre website, (www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/seated-scribe) the sculpture was found in Saqqara Egypt in 1850 by an archaeologist by the name of Auguste Mariette. The exact location of the Seated Scribe has remained aShow MoreRelatedThe Great Pyramids Of Giza1274 Words   |  6 Pages Djoser’s Funerary Complex built during the Third Dynasty (twenty six hundred BCE) measured an astounding eighteen hundred feet long and nine hundred feet wide with thirty four foot white limestone walls. Beyond it’s massive scope, it is significant because it was designed by the first architect we know by name, Imhotep. Imhotep was worshipped as a god within the Egyptian culture, which is not uncommon; but it gives insight to the political ramifications of artists in even this time period thousandsRead MoreEssay on Ancient History Notes5495 Words   |  22 Pagesin Nubia added any new territory to the Egyptian empire. The Amarna Letters suggest that relations between Amenhotep and King of Mitannia was close, Amenhotep marrying sevral of their princesses. The only trouble spot was in Northern Syria, where Egypt had never established firm control. ( Control of Syria meant control of great wealth. A stela cut into the rock near the first cataract records that there had been a revolt in Nubia during the 5th year of his reign and that he had invaded the countryRead MoreThe Birth of Civilization18947 Words   |  76 Pages The Bronze Age and the Birth of Civilization Another major shift occurred first in the plains along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the region the Greeks and Romans called Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), later in the valley of the Nile River in Egypt, and somewhat later in India and the Yellow River basin in China. Towns grew alongside villages, and some towns then grew into much larger urban centers. The urban centers, or cities, usually had monumental buildings, such as temples and fortificationsRead MoreA Picatrix Miscellany52019 Words   |  209 Pageslegendary pre-history of Egypt, to be found in al-Maqrà ®zà ® and other authors. These examples are interrupted by a discussion of the â€Å"friendly† numbers 220 and 284. The whole is attributed to â€Å"him†, so that it appears that Kanka has all along been under contribution, whereas the fact is that the section is a miscellany from different sources. None of the legendary kings of Egypt is named until a further instalment of Egyptian history is presented. What we are told of Egypt concerns talismans, devices