Palette of King Narmer, Hierakonpolis, Egypt. ca. 3000 - 2920 BCE, Predynastic. measures 2&
Palette of King Narmer, Hierakonpolis, Egypt. ca. 3000 - 2920 BCE, Predynastic. measures 2’, 1". carved on both sides. ceremonial palette with decorative purpose; used for kohl, a pigment used for eye make-up. it blocked reflective light and kept away flies. narmer identifiable by crown and size. he wears the crown of upper egypt. the crown changes from front to back; on the front, it looks like a bowling pin, and on the back, it has a papyrus curl (symbol of lower egypt). two circular animals with necks intertwining is where the kohl would be. these animals are actually being choked; both have collars on them. depicts the unification of upper and lower egypt, which narmer is credited for. hathor, the cow-woman near the top, is the wife and mother of horus, the falcon god (bird of prey, flies over everyone, sees all). hathor is essential to fertility. important to society during peace time; a sign of prosperity. scene of subjugation (making someone submit to you). not a coming together/compromise story of unification. upper and lower egypt were forced together. the back side is the victory procession: upper right, dead people, decapitated, with legs between their heads. sign of power. composite view (you can see the entire body). conveys the most information about the figure in one picture. -- source link
#ancient egypt#predynastic egypt