Why is the palette of King Narmer unique?
The palette of King Narmer is unique among surviving Egyptian artwork because it is important not only as a document marking the transition from the prehistorical to the historical period in ancient Egypt but also as a kind of early blueprint of the formula for figure representation that characterized most Egyptian art …
What was the significance of the two crowns of Narmer?
The double crown represented the unification of the two regions of Egypt, Upper and Lower Egypt. It is also referred to as the shmty which means ‘The Two Powerful Ones” or as the pschent. The pschent combines the hedjet (white crown of Upper Egypt) with the deshret (red Crown of Lower Egypt).
Is the palette of King Narmer propaganda?
In this palette, we can appreciate the Egyptian system of representation, with the face and legs in profile and the torso in front. This is a real propaganda message, with different registers and different scales to make clear the importance of the characters, of great coherence and incredible beauty.
What are two of the important features of the palette of Narmer?
The “Main Deposit” at Hierakonpolis, where the Narmer Palette was discovered, contained many hundreds of objects, including a number of large relief-covered ceremonial mace-heads, ivory statuettes, carved knife handles, figurines of scorpions and other animals, stone vessels, and a second elaborately decorated palette …
What was the Narmer Palette made of?
siltstone
The Narmer Palette is a 63-centimetre-tall (2.07 ft), shield-shaped, ceremonial palette, carved from a single piece of flat, soft dark gray-green siltstone. The stone has often been wrongly identified, in the past, as being slate or schist.
Who found the Narmer Palette?
James E. Quibell
The Palette, which has survived five millennia in almost perfect condition, was discovered by British archeologists James E. Quibell and Frederick W. Green, in what they called the Main Deposit in the Temple of Horus at Nekhen, during the dig season of 1897–98.
Where is the Narmer Palette?
The Narmer Palette is part of the permanent collection of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It is one of the initial exhibits which visitors have been able to see when entering the museum….
| Narmer Palette | |
|---|---|
| Size | c. 64 cm × 42 cm |
| Created | 3200–3000 BC (circa) |
| Discovered | 1897–1898 |
| Present location | Egyptian Museum, Cairo |
What is the material of the palette of Narmer?
The beautifully carved palette, 63.5 cm (more than 2 feet) in height and made of smooth greyish-green siltstone, is decorated on both faces with detailed low relief.
When was Narmer Palette created?
1898
The Narmer Palette was discovered in 1898 by James Quibell and Frederick Green. It was found with a collection of other objects that had been used for ceremonial purposes and then ritually buried within the temple at Hierakonpolis.
Where is the palette of Narmer?
What is the significance of the Narmer Palette?
Narmer was the first king of the First Dynasty of Egypt and the Narmer Palette was most likely created to celebrate his military victories over Lower Egypt. Narmer, then, was the first king of the First Dynasty of Egypt and the Narmer Palette was most likely created to celebrate his military victories over Lower Egypt. Click to see full answer
What is the significance of the red crown on Narmer?
In the top scene of the palette’s front, the second figure from the left, identified by the two signs in front of him as Narmer, is represented wearing the Red Crown, that is usually associated with Lower Egypt.
What is the significance of the four standard bearers of Narmer?
Four standard bearers are represented in front of the Tshet person. The left-most standard represents some kind of animal skin, the second a dog and the next two a falcon. These standards might be the emblems of the royal house of Narmer, or of the regions that already belonged to his kingdom.
What is the purpose of a palette?
In addition to these simple, purely functional, palettes however, there were also a number of larger, far more elaborate palettes created in this period. These objects still served the function of being a ground for grinding and mixing cosmetics, but they were also carefully carved with relief sculpture.