Two kissing Birds Dyn V - reign of Userkaf / h 14.5 cm / from Saqqara precinct of Userkaf / Egyptian Museum Cairo (Temp 6-9-32-1) This little fragment from Usekafs ruined mortuary temple complex was part of a large scene depicting life in a marsh along the Nile. It is no unusual to find hunting and fishing scenes or simple depictions of nature in the reliefs within the Fifth Dynasty royal temples. Such reliefs reflect a long tradition, attested by a few fragments from the temple of the Bent Pyramid built by Snefru in Dashur. The traces of green paint on the papyrus stalks behind these birds are a reminder that all such scenes were painted in bright colors. The finely sculpted relief in soft limestone shows the technical skill and gifts of observation possessed by early Fifth Dynasty artists. In particular, note how the plumage of the birds wings and heads gives a lifelike appearance to the charming scene as it unfolds before our eyes. Source: Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids (1999) Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.)
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 14:47:57 +0000
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