Artist's_Sketch_of_Pharaoh_Spearing_a_Lion

<i>Artist's Sketch of Pharaoh Spearing a Lion</i>

Artist's Sketch of Pharaoh Spearing a Lion

Add article description

Artist's Sketch of Pharaoh Spearing a Lion is an ostracon drawing from the Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt (ca. 1186–1070 B.C., part of the Ramesside period). It is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.[1]

Quick Facts Artist's Sketch of Pharaoh Spearing a Lion, Year ...

Early history and creation

This is a piece of limestone sketched with ink. It was a trial sketch, though the final has not been found in any tombs nor does the figure conform to new kingdom proportions, that was discarded in the Valley of the Kings.[1] It was discovered at the Tomb of Tutankhamun, near the entrance, during excavations in 1920.[1]

Description and interpretation

The work depicts a Ramesside pharaoh spearing a lion. The lion symbolizes the enemies of Egypt. The back of the work has a section of hieratic text, which reads: "The slaughter of every foreign land, the Pharaoh—may he live, prosper, and be healthy."[1] Hieratic text is a term for cursive writing, which had been around and evolving since as early as the 2nd dynasty[2].

Back of the ostracon, featuring hieratic text
Front of the ostracon, featuring figural image

References

  1. [1]
    "Artist's Sketch of Pharaoh Spearing a Lion". Metropolitan Museum of Art.
  2. [2]
    Regulski, Ilona (2009). ""The Beginning of Hieratic Writing in Egypt."". Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur. 38: 259–274 – via JSTOR.


Stub icon

This ceramic art and design-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Stub icon

This article about subjects relating to Ancient Egypt is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Artist's_Sketch_of_Pharaoh_Spearing_a_Lion, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.