Hi folks! This week we’re using genuine surviving imagery from ancient Egypt to explore their world and how they saw it. Choose a figure and spend some time thinking about what you see in it and what ideas it carries with it from all those thousands of years ago. What stands out to you? What do you want to know more about?

A detail in particular that jumps out is the mummy inside the egyptian tomb of the pharoah. I think the artist was trying to communciate is that the pharaoh will be protected. I would like to find out if how long will it be taking care of.

1. When looking at the 'Egyption tomb painting of Anubis assisting the dead' image, what stuck out to me was how Anubis is seen to be physically helping with the Pharaohs death ritual. The Egyptians hold him in high regard as death is meaningful and as important as life.
2. I think the author was trying to communicate the process of death as the Egyptians believed it to be. They believed Anubis was going to be there to take care of them when they die, so the image can be used as a reminder for Egyptians to do good so they can have a nice afterlife.
3. I would like to find out more about whether this process of Anubis assisting the dead was only meant for pharaohs or every Egyptian in general. I would also like to know about how their afterlife works for those who aren't pharaohs.

What stands out to me right away in this image is the figure of Anubis leaning over the body, with his head making him instantly recognizable as the god of mummification and the afterlife. The detail of him placing his hands on the deceased suggests a sense of care and ritual, almost like he is guiding or protecting the person as they transition into the afterlife. I think the artist was trying to communicate the importance of Anubis as a divine helper, someone who ensured that the dead would be properly prepared and cared for so that their soul could safely reach the next world. The background patterns and the careful depiction of the funeral bed add to the sacredness of the moment. What I would like to find out more about is the specific rituals or steps that Anubis was believed to perform during embalming and whether this scene was meant to be literal or more symbolic. It makes me wonder how much of this was based on actual funerary practices and how much was meant to reassure the living that their loved ones would be safe under Anubis’s protection.

A detail I noticed is that Horus is holding Queen Nefertiti's hand. To me this reminded me of how most cultures have some kind of deity that guides the dead to the afterlife so they don't get lost and the small detail of Horus holding onto her made me think it was symbolic of that. I think the artist was trying to communicate that in death the gods that their people loved will be waiting for them after death with open arms, safely guiding them to the afterlife. In addition to this, three gods are shown protecting Nefertiti leading me to believe that the artist wanted to also portray their queen having a safe departure, as if to ease worried civilians. I want to know how soon after the painting was made and whether or not all three deities are there for rulers or if they all show up to guide regular people as well.

In the image of the Egyptian nobleman and his wife, the detail that jumps out is the wife’s arm around her husband, showing closeness and unity. The artist seems to communicate both their high status and their bond as partners. I’d like to learn more about how common this affectionate pose was in Old Kingdom art and what it reveals about marriage and family in that period.

For this post I would like to talk about the image in which Anubis assisting the dead as we see in this image how the Egyptians view this god and how important this god is to them as we see the compassion and dedication of Anubis who taking care of what it seems a Pharoh and that is important because of the fact that Pharoh's even in death get treated very well as well-known divine beings in the times they were alive this image shows that the god of death personally attends to these ruler.

The first detail that stood out to me was the way in which the goddess Maat seems to be welcoming Queen Nefertiti with her body language. I believe the artist was trying to communicate the sacred tradition of transitioning into the afterlife especially in this case considering Nefertiti’s status. I would like to find out whether or not Isis and Horus were there for every transition into the afterlife.

What I notice first in the statue of Hatshepsut is how she’s shown with the pharaoh’s headdress and beard, even though she was a woman. It makes me think the artist wanted people to see her as a strong and rightful ruler, not just as a queen. I’d love to know how ordinary Egyptians felt seeing their leader represented this way and what it meant for ideas of women in power back then.

One detail in particular that stands out to me the most is someone that has passed in a sarcophagus, and Anubis is there to help him pass on to the after life. In a way, the artist is trying to communicate that Anubis is the symbol of death, hence why he is there to help them pass safely. It's interesting because it's likely that most that passed were regular civilians, but Anubis would still likely be illustrated anyway. I want to find out if Anubis would actually do this for everyone. What about criminals or bad people that existed at the time?

One detail in particular that jumps out to me from the last image is Anubis. I always wondered why they depicted a god of the dead as a human with the head of a jackal. Maybe the ancient Egyptians associated jackals with death, although I can’t think of any way they correlate.

I think the artist was trying to communicate that the spirit of Anubis visit tombs and guide the dead to the afterlife. The ancient Egyptians seem to value the concept of life after death a lot; I want to learn more about their depictions of the afterlife and how they incorporate those ideas into how they live their everyday lives.

The detail that jumps out to me when I look at this image is the togetherness of the husband and wife but also the different color of the Nobleman. I think what the artist was trying to communicate is that a woman will always care for the man which in these times when men were the fighters and the providers. I want to find out if the different color of the man signifies something like blood; as well as his arms being cut off. I wonder if it represents actual wounds or is it just because it is ancient and damaged.

In this image you can see the god Anubis in front of a sarcophagus, he standing in front of it as the symbol of the afterlife. The artist who created this piece is trying to show how anubis would would always be there for the people after they died and he will aid them to the transition to the next life. From the way the tomb is designed you can also noticed it belongs to a high class person or a Pharaoh. This can also imply how the god prioritize Pharaoh on this transition as they Pharaohs were seen as Gods as well, showing a symbol of status even after they passed away. Im hoping to find out more about how all these different gods in these ancient civilizations are similar yet different when it comes to what each represents.

The detail that jumps out at me in particular as I look at this image is the colors that are used repeatedly. I see that blue is used both on horus and on queen Nefertiti’s appearances. I also see the use of a yellowish hue, red and green throughout the picture and wonder if these colors carried a deep meaning for the Egyptians. I believe the artist of this image was trying to communicate the security that Egyptians felt towards their gods even into the “unknown of death.” The Egyptians believed that their gods were benevolent and looked after them and as portrayed in the image, the gods Isis, Horus and Ma’at are all leading the queen Neferttit into a secure place into the afterlife. They are still shown in playing the role of protector for her. I would like to find out if Egyptians ever reached a point in their time that they believed their gods to be the opposite of benevolent and more like the gods of Sumer who were against them. I wonder if a famine or a set of disasters took place that ever caused them to abandon what they once believed about their gods. 

In the tomb painting of Nefertiti, the detailed hieroglyphics and a powerful, sun-headed goddess stand out. The artist likely wanted to show the strong connection between Egyptian rulers and their gods, this shows that leaders like Queen Nefertiti had a duty to maintain order. So this leads to the question of whether the people worshipped their rulers in the same way they worshipped their gods.

After observing the photo of Tutankhamun and his wife Ankhsenamun, the first thing that stood out was their golden decor and jewelry. Because pharaohs were a form of royalty, they would dress in gold with sacred relics that would show their status to Egypt. Ankhesenamun also has her hand on Tutankhamun's shoulder to show a mutual respect between the two pharaohs. The artist painting this wanted to show the royal power of the pharaohs represented in their relics and collaborations. One thing I'm interested in finding out is the underlining meaning of the image to discover if Tutankhamun and Ankhsenamun really did have a functional partnership with each other.

After looking this Egyptian tomb painting of Anubis assisting the dead, the first thing that stands out to me is the striking image of the black jackal headed god leaning over the wrapped body. The coloring of the image, its background, the drawing skills of the then people really amazed me. To me this image shows how much faith the Egyptians had on their afterlife and protecting or guiding their soul. In this image the artist maybe wanted to show people how connected the life and death are. I'd like to know more about exactly what Anubis is doing in this scene. Is he embalming the body, performing a ritual or guiding the soul to somewhere? It's fascinating to think that thousands of years ago people were already creating such detailed art to express their beliefs.

1. Something that stood out to me was the hieroglyphics on the walls in the background. They look more than just decorative, but rather an addition to the setting of the photo and the sacred atmosphere. Something else that caught my eye was the goddess sitting in the center with the headpiece that resembled the sun. She has this calm, yet powerful presence of authority, which caught my attention as well.
2. I think what the artist was trying to convey with this image is that ancient Egyptians heavily believed in the connection between their rulers and the divine gods. The way that Queen Nefertiti is surrounded by gods and goddesses only highlights how being someone with such a role of power also meant they had a sacred role as well. It also suggests that being a ruler and keeping society in order also meant keeping balance and order with the divine.
3. Something I'd like to learn more about is whether or not the reason why rulers and higher-position figures were tied to the divine gods was because they were worshipped or highly respected by their people, as the gods were.