Art

For this assignment, I will be considering Funerary Stele of Tembu from ancient Egypt. My primary reason for this choice is because of the enjoyment I find in the art of Tembu. The reign of ancient Egypt lasted approximately 3000 years, during which time many fine works of art were created, including great architectural structures and  sculptures. The Egyptian civilization started near the river Nile, eventually the Egyptians achieved the greatest empire of the era. The great Egyptian art works include many symbolic images representative of their great kingdom. For this paper, I will discuss the  iconic Egyptian work, Funerary Stele of Tembu.

Funerary Stele of Tembu is a low relief sculpture. Stele is defined as an upright stone slab or a gravestone. (Stockstad, 36) The sculpture was discovered in Western Thebes, Egypt, created by an unknown Egyptian artist. The period during which the stele was made is estimated to be between 1500 and 1470 BC. The Stele is carved in limestone and painted with colors. (Walters Museum of Art)

The figures sculpted in this stele are realistic renderings indicative of the naturalistic style. This style was seen in many Egyptian objects, such as tables, jars, bowls and offerings. They are very much recognizable as realistic points of view. Even though the depicted movement of the human figures are not as natural,  the human figures are rendered with more naturalistic than abstract style.

The posture of the human figures shows twisted perspective, and is also indicative of Egyptian art. The legs and heads are turned sideways with upper body in frontal view, a posture that is impossible in reality. In the Funerary Stele of Tembu, the Egyptian figures are depicted with larger than normal eyes. This seems to suggest the sadness that the figures have in losing their family members.

There are two registers in the Funerary Stele of Tembu, an upper and lower. The upper register shows a girl offering goods to the household. The eyes seen in the upper most part of the stele seems to be watching or guarding the people below. Each object is carefully carved, and shows good color choices. The color seems to fade out a bit, but it is clear that the male s skin is darker than the female s. The color differences of skin depending on their gender also reflect the view of ancient Egypt people toward their gender roles. The bottom register depicts Tembu s sons and daughters holding flowers (Walters Museum of Art). In the bottom of the stele, there could be considered to be a third register depicting hieroglyphic writing of ancient Egypt.

The first time I looked at the Funerary Stele of Tembu, I immediately thought of two images that were discussed in class. First was the Narmer Palette, because of the symbolic image that both pieces have. Even though the stories that both pieces contain are different, some of the same Egyptian symbols are used in both works. One of the symbols that stood out in my mind from both Narmer Palette and the Funerary Stele of Tembu is the lotus flower, symbolizing Upper Egypt.

The eyes in the upper most part of the stele are called wedjat, or eye of Horus, King of the Earth (Stockstad, 52). The other image that was discussed in class is the Stele of Amenemhat I from Middle Kingdom. Stele of Amenemhat I was created centuries earlier than Stele of Tembu, but both steles have many identical features. According to our textbook, these funerary steles represents the deceased s use of offerings through eternity. (Stockstad, 65)

The Funerary stele of Tembu itself reveals a lot about the life of ancient Egyptians.  It depicts Egyptian family life, and the importance of devoted children to their parents. The stele includes a monkey underneath a chair in the house, suggesting Egyptians kept pets. Clothing and food choices are also revealed,  a family wearing white garments and food offerings of meat and plants.

Other images of the Funerary Stele of Tembu suggest the ancient Egyptian beliefs. The eyes of Horus as mentioned above, as well as the offering to the god Osiris signify their religion. The furniture such as the long chair, table and jars, are highly decorative and stylistic. I think the piece is less successful in bringing to light the ancient Egyptian culture than pieces made for the rulers of the time. These art pieces of rulers used the finest materials and were created by top artists, giving a glimpse of the high culture of the time. The Funerary Stele of Tembu is more successful at providing a view of middle-class ancient Egyptians, depicting ordinary lives at home.