Nude woman (Venus of Willendorf), from Willendorf, Austria, ca. 28,000-25,000 BCE, limestone

• amulet for good fortune in childbirth
• female accents enhanced
• red ocker significance → symbolizes rebirth and death, used in death ceremony rituals.
• large hips, way arms are crossed, big legs

Hall of the Bulls (left wall) in the cave at Lascaux, France, ca. 15,000- 13,000 BCE prehistoric age

• _______ discovered first cave and no one believed him
• (cave paintings 40,000-10,000 BCE)done in profile, very realistic
• they were keen observers of animals
• used modeling (by shading) to show 3 dimension
• What's left out?
• everyday stuff  EX: rodents
• dates

Possible readings

• possible depiction of mythological story
• metaphysical: expresses a system where each species has it’s own role.
• right of passage? site of initiation rites
• animals represent clans or tribes
• not primitive but express a highly developed civ with long history and mythology
• hunting magic
• for arts sake

Reconstruction drawing of the White Temple and ziggurat, Uruk (modern Warka), Iraq, ca. 3200- 3000 BCE

sumerian  

• represents mountain, ziggurat for gods as place to worship (work for gods created for gods)
• prob dedicated to Anu, sun god. it had a central hall (cella) with a stepped altar, there the sumerian priests would await the apparition of the deity
• the layout of sumerian cities reflected the central role of the gods in daily life.
• worship center
• a top is where new year celebrations happen (fall and spring) gods come and receive gifts ….....only priest and leader allowed up

• made of mud brick, why so little remains

Presentation of offerings to Inanna (Warka Vase), from Uruk (modern Warka), Iraq, ca. 3200- 3000BCE, alabaster

sumerians  

• celebrated marriage between storm god and _______. where spring begins, the gods come and celebrate the life force
• new yr happens twice a yr: spring / fall
• celebration of spring festival and fall harvest
• offering gift to god for all their help
• can see hierarchy society
• talk importance of dress (ppl are naked=respect to goddess)
• formal elements
• what it’s made of?
• arranged- going up with bands. wheat at bottom goddess at top
• twisted perspective
• profile and frontal body views
• eye emphasized

Statuettes of two worshippers, from the Square Temple at Eshnunna (modern Tell Asmar), Iraq, ca. 2700 BCE

Sumerian

• place at temple, waiting for gods to appear
• prays made in offering to gods
• have vases in hands as offerings (similar to warka vase)
• male and female. some more expensive, showing diff class
• gypsum inlaid with shell and black limestone

War and peace sides of the Standard of Ur, from tomb 779, Royal Cemetery, Ur (modern Tell Muqayyar), Iraq, ca. 2600 BCE

Sumerian

• battlefield victory in 3 registers.
• the narrative reads from bottom to top / left to right
• the size of the figures varies with their importance in society
• “war side” and “peace side”
• wood inlaid with shell, lapis lazuli, and red limestone

Bull-headed lyre and sound box, from tomb 789 (“King’s Grave”), Royal Cemetery, Ur (modern Tell Myqayyar), Iraq, ca. 2600 BCE

• tells the “Epic of Gilgamesh” on panel, scorpion king → → helping to other world → upper panel is a heroic figure embracing two man bulls
• beard sign of intelligence
• from a tomb of “Queen” Pu-abi of ur
• know bull harp and what it does
• gold leaf and lapis lazuli over a wooden core

Victory stele of Naram-Sin, from Susa, Iran, 2254-2218 BCE

Akkadian  

• stele- slab of marble, limestone, ect) pink sandstone
• not just pic but carving
• wearing horned helmets symbolizing he is a god.
• by storming the mountain he also seems to be climbing the ladder to the heavens
• troops are in orderly fashion→ disciplined and organization of the kings forces
• enemy in cause
• Narman-sin is a god killing a man well leading his army up a mountain, ppl praying, shows how ruthless he is...
• first time ever
• takes place in real location (iranian mount to the east)
• king claiming to be god

Stele with law code of Hammurabi, from Susa, Ira, ca. 1780 BCE, basalt

Babylon (mesopotamia)

• can round date to 1800, 7 feet high
• function- clarify laws of land and punishment, first set of written laws, over 100 laws covers front and back
• at top sun god (shamash) giving hammurabi rod and sphere
• hammurabi and god on friendly terms. BFF of god shows his power from god
• symbolizing power and authority, he is giving them to hammurabi
• they are communicating which means the ultimate power is passing on authority
• sun god- long beard multiple horns, rays of light being given off. wares diff skirt, sits on top a ziggurat and has his feet on the mountain.
• they put emphasis on eyes

Palette of King Narmer, from Hierakonpolis, Egypt, Predynastic, ca. 3000- 2920 BCE, slate

Egyptian

• offering, palette just for thanks not use
• first noted king → purpose of king is to unite north and south under power of horace.
• king is linked to god, so he is human and divine (different hats represent north and south)
• illustrate rule of Narmer, about him him supporting Horace and bringing peace.
• papyrus flowers
• sandel carrier (very important) has big ears
• protected by horace and _______ goddess of protection and passage to the next world
• His dress
• Has a bulls tail on one side
• eyes painted green
• make-up, jewelry, and outfit very important
• the rageling of animals may represent
• him uniting upper and lower egypt
• or rangeling of super natural enemies.

Imhotep, Stepped Pyramid and mortuary precinct of Djoser, Saqqara, Egypt, Third Dynasty, ca. 2630-2611 BCE

imhotep (architect)

Egyptian

• pharaoh Djoser was made a god eventually (first to do this)
• enlarged twice ( tomb in temple instead of under ground)
• had building made as offices so he could work and rule in underworld
• pharos would run around   to prove he was worthy of rule.
• had offerings made for him

Khafre enthroned, from Gizeh, Egypt, Fourth Dynasty, ca. 2520- 2494 BCE

Egyptian

• stepped pyramids were made north to south, these were made east to west
• 20 - 30 placed deep in pyramids or temples. very few ever saw them
• eagle = horace’s protection
• lotus and papyrus flowers represent (symbolize) him maintaining kingdom well
• to show he is permanent and there he looks very unnatural. not realistic. looking to gods, stiff, head gress back to emphasize his ears (ears= listening to gods)

Seated scribe, from Saqqara, Egypt, Fourth Dynasty, ca. 2500 BCE,

Egyptian

painted limestone

• below only pharaoh- not many can read and write
• shown in his role - sitting, working (flabby → his sits all day and works.... no exercise)
• wares expensive eye makeup, wig, and has big ears. (ears= listening to gods)

Nebamun hunting fowl, from the tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1400-1350 BCE
Egyptian

• Funeral painting
• Nabamun standing on his boat flushing birds from a papyrus swamp
• the cat is helping him shoo the birds
• his wife and daughter accompany him on this hunting trip in the afterlife. they are holding papyrus flowers they picked.
• the hieroglyphics tell of him enjoying recreation in the afterlife.

Akhenaton, from the temple of Aton, Karnak, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1353- 1335 BCE sandstone
Egyptian

• he helped design the look which was uncommon at the time
• he put it where ppl could see... not back in temple, ect
• soft gentle pharaoh
• elongated body and face
• new kind of headdress → even his wife had a new kind of headdress and similar fetchers
• representa aton → sun god and every other god all in one
• this was a new concept
• he represented all life force
• thats why he has male and female fetchers

Akhenaton, Nefertiti and three daughters, from Amarna, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1353- 1335 BCE, limestone

Egyptian

• shows a very close relationship
• family oriented
• it shows rays from aton shining down on them
• unusual to see such affection from a pharo
• amarna period

Death mask of Tutankhamen, from the innermost coffin of his tomb at Thebes, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1323 BCE,  

Egyptian

gold with inlay of semiprecious stones

• AKA king TUT
• made to look like death god Anubis
• has wings which represent horace embracing him and protection
• died young- had lot of walking sticks, had broken leg at one point
• so important
• only tomb left intact
• was able to learn a lot about burial rituals

in the tomb was a painted chest

• showing him running over non egyptians ( sons of seth)

Last judgment of Hu-nefer, from his tomb at Thebes, Egypt, 19th Dynasty, ca. 1290- 1280 BCE, painted papyrus scroll

Egyptian

• show what happens during judgment
• approaches all gods and must tell them their names and what they do → sees mummification god → ______ measures heart to a feather to check purity, if not pure he gets eaten → then horace helps him along to meet osiris god of the underworld → HE MADE IT!!
• whatever you write or paint makes it so in the otherworld