Week 5

       This is a Male figure from the Cycladic culture. It isn’t specified to be male, but because the figure seems to be taking ‘an action’ it is seen as the male gender. Initially my reaction to this was that it was a very clean sculpture; clean lines, clean figure, and overall well done. The way the man is sitting in the chair holding his cup looks like he is interacting with someone. As if he is in a deep conversation with someone across from him. This really engaged me into the sculpture.

       The male figure is from the height of the Cycladic culture. It is from the time period of 2800-2300 BC.  The figure is constructed entirely of marble. His left arm crosses over his body while his right arm raises a glass as if to propose a toast. His upward chin and defined nose make him seem he is of importance. As if he understands what he is talking about and is taking thought in what he is saying. That is if he is speaking at all. The legs look as if they were just sliced down the middle and parted to make two. Not sure why it was sculpted this way. Maybe they did this to make the sculpture symmetrical.

       I then looked at the male figure from the Ancient Near East. This human figure is from Ain Ghazai, Jordan during 6750-6250 BCE. This early representation of the human figure is a little different than the figure from the Cycladic culture. This specific statue stands 3 feet tall and is made of a cane from which is encased in white plaster. The nostrils and eyes are quiet defined. The eyes are made with shells. The eyes are also painted with a type of natural asphalt. These types of sculptures were also said to have clothes, and tattoos painted on the body. This human sculpture also seems disproportioned to an average human figure. I see this mostly in the size of the arms, and how they are rather small. I also see it in the rather large neck.

       Between the human figure from the Cycladic culture and the human figure from Ancient Near East I can see many differences. First thing I saw was the difference in stature. One is standing with no emotion on his face. The other is sitting and even though the features of the face are not distinct we see emotion in the way he sits and holds his head. The Ancient Near East sculpture also has rough craftsmanship about it, whether that is because it is an older piece or the material, but we see a more clean presentation from the human figure from the Cycladic culture. More detail was put into the Ancient Near East human figure with the various mediums they used, and yet each statue has a very simple design to it. Looking at both figures helps us realize that the human figure is seen differently in every culture, and amongst every individual. It’s interesting to me that there are so many forms of beauty out there and each artist has a different way of portraying it. 

Week 4 Post: Option 1

         When comparing the pyramids of Giza and the ziggurats of the ancient Near East I not only saw similarities, but also many differenced between the two.  Differenced in their structures as well as their functions. Just by looks we can already see differences between the pyramids at Giza and the ziggurats of the ancient Near East.

         The pyramids of Giza are located on the west of the Nile. Also know as the land of the setting sun. The pyramids of Giza are constructed of bricks that weigh an average of 2.5 tons each. These structures are up to 450 feet tall with slanted sides.  The pyramids of Giza once had a covering of white limestone and a golden cap on top. Erosion over time has taken from the pyramids, but we can still find reminisce of these materials. These pyramids are not solid structures; inside they have tombs, and tunnels.

The ziggurats are similar to the stepped pyramid of Djoser, Egypt in that they have the same structure. The ziggurats have a step approach to their construction and have stairs incorporated into the design. The ziggurats compared to the pyramids only stand, on average, 170 feet tall, the tallest being 270 feet. In scale they do not come close to the height of the pyramids. These structures were usually built on top of ruble with sun-baked bricks layering the inside. On the outside of the structure it was said they used oven-baked bricks. These structures were once white washed, but like the pyramids they have been eroded away. The slants of these structures were to prevent flooding as well as delay the erosion of these structures.

         The functions of these two structures are also different. The pyramids were funerary tombs for the kings such as Pharaoh Khufu. These are the places where Pharaohs would be buried. The ziggurats were structures dedicated to the gods. They were solid structures because their function was on the top. They built a shrine on the top of the ziggurats called a cella.  The top of the ziggurats were called the meeting place, it was were heaven met earth and they could talk to their gods. Each ziggurat was dedicated to a different god or goddess.

         There may be an obvious difference in the structures of these monuments, but I believe the biggest difference between these two structures is the function. The ziggurats I believe had the most use out of them. They were used constantly for worship and connecting with their gods, whereas the pyramids were used for a burial ground and weren’t visited as often. The emotions behind each sculpture are also different. There was praise and happiness connected to the ziggurats. The pyramids represented sadness and loss of loved ones.

         The pyramids of Giza, and the ziggurats of the Near East were both built with purpose, worship or morn those of a higher power. It’s just amazing to think something of similar statue was created for very different reasons. They both are monuments of beauty. 

Week Three: ‘The Great Lyre with Bull’s Head’

        ‘The Great Lyre with Bull’s Head’ is an instrument that dates back to 2600-2500 BCE. The ‘The Great Lyre with Bills Head’ is 14’’ in height. This piece of art is made from various materials such as wood, gold, silver, lapis lazuli, bitumen, and shell. The front panel of the piece is also known as ‘The Sound Box of the Great Lyre’.  This front panel is wood with shell-inlaid bitumen. This statue was not only an instrument, but also a tool used in celebrating religion. The Great Lyre and Bull’s Head was discovered with the heads of three elaborately attired women, who were believed to be lyrists and singers, in the pit of the King’s Grave.

       Initially when I looked at this piece I thought it was the front of a rowboat. I hadn’t recognized what a lyre was until I saw an image in Google. That is the main reason I chose to write about this piece, because music always brings an interesting outlook on various art pieces. A lyre was generally played to accompany the chants of hymns and songs of praise. It is an 11-string instrument that was believed to evoke the divine bull, a sacred bull said to be the gate keeper of Shiva.

       What we see in this specific instrument is a realistic head of a bull. Most of the head, including its horns, was covered in gold sheet. Its eyeballs were made of shell insets; the pupils, eyelids and hair on the forehead and top of the head were comprised of lapis lazuli. Individual pieces of the same imported stone were set to create the beard.

       Personally I think the beard, aside from the front panel, is the most interesting aspect of this instrument. The bull was a religious icon to this culture. Beards make me think of wisdom, and experience. The fact that this particular bull had a beard made me see it with more power and wisdom. The gold sheet that composes the Bull’s head also makes me think of wealth. We see these attributes of the bull’s head and can connect to the higher representation it brings to the Sumerian culture.

       Then there was the Inlaid Front Panel that brought more interest. The top scene is what looks like a man holding two bulls. These bulls seem to be rearing upwards as if to resist. What’s interesting is that all three of these figures seem to display both human and animal actions. What I noticed was that all three figures are turned to show us their profiles. I’m curious what the meaning behind that was, but I could not figure it out.

       The next three panels are what seem like groups of animals with human characteristics. In the second panel we see a hyena and a lion working together. Judging by the knife on the hyena’s side we can assume he had just hunted the animals he is holding, while the lion brings a vase of water. The next two panels depict the same thing, animals performing everyday tasks (tasks such as playing and instrument, eating, and enjoying the company of one another). Seeing these animals perform everyday tasks as if they were human turns us to the thought of animals as equals if not a more superior evolved species. The combination of these human and animal features represented a Mesopotamian belief that there was power to be gained in combining various species attributes.

I still think it’s interesting how the human form is depicted in various ancient of near east sculptures and art piece. Here we see the animalistic forms of humans where as in the Venus we saw a different form of beauty. Overall I see The Great Lyre with Bull’s Head as a religious tool more than the possible combination of animal and man resulting in power over the physical world. It is an instrument of worship. Where people would gather and sing their hymns and songs of worship to their god(s).