It is within this framework that the Egyptians conceived of what it meant to be human. A distinction was made between the aspects of a human being of that which was eternal and that which was subject to cycles of death and rebirth. According to funerary texts, humans are composed of a mortal body, called the "kha," and three immortal elements known as the "akh," "ba," and "ka." These have been translated as the spirit, soul, and double. More current interpretation assigns a less specified role for each entity. Regardless of the translation, an understanding of the concept of creation by the divine, imparting multiple aspects to each being was necessary to the Egyptian use of art to represent themselves and deities.
The personification of the elements of the creation of the Universe, Earth, and Mankind reflects a keen observation of natural phenomenon as well as a great deal of sophistication in conceptualizing the immaterial. This attempt to lend concrete form and description to abstract notions defined Egyptian life, yet it is often the source of misunderstanding from a modern perspective. For example, as Lucie Lamy relates:
It is often said that Re is himself the sun, which is inaccurate, for many texts affirm that Re ‘penetrates’ the solar globe and causes it to shine, so that he renders it luminous, by his passage. Thus Re is not the light, but that which provokes the light.6
A similar misunderstanding arising from viewing the past through the ‘eyes’ of modern culture may lead one to assume the Egyptians were less than sophisticated in their artistic skill. Quite the opposite is true. The ancient Egyptian artist did not attempt to render only that which the eye could see, and the fleeting aspects of time. The aim was to depict the enduring nature of objects, scenes, and ideas.7
At the core, Egyptians sought a way to represent that which they believed to be eternal. It has been suggested that the depiction of people in a state of youth and health, common in much Egyptian art, was not an idealization. Rather it was an attempt to capture the essence of a being by not focusing merely on the transitory aspects of physical life.8 The same could be argued in explanation of the twisted perspective of objects painted and drawn as if seen simultaneously from multiple viewpoints.
Furthermore, a modern view of "art" can obscure one’s understanding of ancient Egypt. The Egyptians did not create art for art’s sake. As is true of most ancient cultures, what are now regarded as their works of art were produced to fulfill specific functions.9 The modern mind tends to make distinctions where the ancient mind did not. What we term as writing and art, the Egyptians termed "medu netcher" meaning "the god’s words" or "speech of the gods." This one term encapsulated both hieroglyphic writing and "art work." It is in this aspect that hidden and symbolic meaning gain much significance in Egyptian culture.
The same is true of our notion of magic, which may be better understood in Egyptian terms as a belief in the ability of the written word, image, speech, and action to influence the world in which they lived. It is in this belief that the attempt to render the essence of a being through art and word comes full circle. For, it is through these actions that the human connected with the divine.
It was believed that a statue, or representation, could act as a medium to communicate with the intangible realm of the gods.10 In a similar manner, it was believed that one’s ancestors could intercede on one’s behalf. Ultimately, the Egyptians believed in the power of human action, derived from a soul or spirit which activates a material body. In its totality, a human was a creation of the divine and the eternal, which was both the impetus and the goal of life on earth.
The challenge to educators is to present this vast culture and time period without over generalizing to the point of misrepresenting or obscuring the characteristics of the culture. A higher goal is to lay the groundwork for further learning as a student progresses in his or her understanding of a complex society and its visual records, which were meant as much to obscure as to enlighten.
Through the lessons presented in the VAVA Room, it is hoped that students will learn of the underlying concepts which drove Egyptian creative endeavors, rather than simply to copy the style of Egyptian art without a deeper understanding of the art in its cultural context. It is further hoped that the student will be able to relate the concepts presented to his or her own life and culture. This can be done by engaging in projects which reference the self.
Notes
1. For a more in-depth study refer to: Crawford, Clinton. Recasting Ancient Egypt in the African Context: Toward a Model Curriculum Using Art and Language, Trenton, New Jersey, Africa World Press, Inc., 1996. Kagan, Donald. "Stealing History: Not Out of Africa: How Afrocentrism Became An Excuse To Teach Myth: Review," The New Criterion, v. 14, March 1996: 54-59. Lehuard, Raoul. "Egypt in Africa," Arts d’Afrique Noire, no. 103, Autumn 1997: 54-59. Noguera, Anthony. How African Was Egypt? A Comparative Study of Ancient Egyptian and Black African Cultures, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Hollywood, Vantage Press, 1976. Wright, William. "The Whitewash of Egypt: Identifying Egypt and Nubia Separation of Ancient Egypt from the Rest of Africa," African Arts, v. 27, Autumn ’94: 10+.
2. Wilkinson, Richard H. Symbol and Magic in Egyptian Art, London, Thames and Hudson, 1994.
3. Lamy, Lucie, Deborah Lawlor, trans., Egyptian Mysteries: New Light on Ancient Knowledge, New York, New York, Thames and Hudson, 1994: 8-10.
4. Bremner-Rhind Papyrus 27, 1 & 28, 26 quoted in Lamy, 1994: 16.
5. Lamy, Egyptian Mysteries, pp. 10.
6. Ibid, pp. 11.
7. Robins, Gay, Proportion and Style in Ancient Egyptian Art, Austin, University of Texas, 1994: 3.
8. Fazzini, Richard. Images for Eternity: Egyptian Art from Berkeley and Brooklyn, New York, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and The Brooklyn Museum, 1975: xxvi.
9. Robins, Proportion and Style in Ancient Egyptian Art, pp 7.
10. O’Connor, David. Ancient Egyptian Society. The Carnegie Series on Egypt, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The University of Pennsylvania, 1990: 14.
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