Ancient Egypt Art History -- Pectoral and necklace of Sithathoryunet, and the religion of Ancient Egypt

The Pectoral and Necklace of Princess Sithathoryunet and Religion of Egypt Name Course Lecturer Date The pectoral was made approximately in the era of King Senwosret the second. It was discovered among the jewelry that belonged to Princess Sithathoryunet. This was in a special area of her tomb, and was beside the pyramid of Senwosret the second (Andrews, 1994). The design of the pectoral is made up by hieroglyphic signs. This signs are religious in nature and can be translated as implying that the god of the rising sun is able to give life for eternity with regards to Senwosret II. This paper seeks to explore the meaning of the signs possessed in the pectoral and necklace of Sithathoryunet and their religious inclination in the ancient Egypt. The pectoral is inlaid with 372 pieces of semiprecious stones. These pieces are carefully cut to ensure quality. The design of these pieces is replete with elements of symbolism. It portrays the religious inclination and preference also. The pectoral has zigzag lines at the base. There are two falcons which clasp a shen ring. The shen ring also encircles the name of the throne Senswosret II, Khai-kheper-re. There are two anks at the flank of the king`s name. These are suspended from cobras. There is a kneeling god heh who clutches two palm ribs. There is also a scarab at the centre (Andrews, 1994). The zigzag and the reflecting pool are symbols that are used to represent water. The water represented therein is the primeval water also known as Nun. Primeval water is believed to be the source of all the things on earth. Ancient belief and religion was that all living things came from some miasma or effusium. This was also true for the Egyptians. Science also recapitulates the same thinking. The zigzag line and the reflecting pool are, therefore, symbols that represent the origin of life. They can be viewed as life giving or acknowledgement of the origins of living things. Therefore, they are an important symbol in the Egyptian religion. They represent the source of the primeval hill and its emergence (Meltzer, 2002). There are two falcons in the cloisonné pectoral. These two represent the sun god. They are the symbolic representation of Horus. Horus was termed as the sky (Meltzer, 2002). He was also consideredconsidered possessing the sun and the moon. In these cases, the right and left eye of the falcon are a representation of the sun and the moon respectively. There is a demonstration of the weakness of the moon in relation to the sun. The moon is portrayed to be smaller; hence, showing that the sun is superior. Horus could see everything at once since he could visualize in the sun and the moon (Meltzer, 2002). Horus is also believed to be the god of hunting and war. The representation on the pectoral is thus, essential when it comes to religious blessings so that one can have good luck when hunting. This will also dictate your chances of winning when at war. If Horus is on your side, success during wartimes was the expected outcome in Ancient Egypt. The falcons are also viewed as a symbol of power and majesty. The pharaohs of ancient Egypt were termed as human representation form of the god portrayed by these falcons. It was in the Lower Egypt where the belief for Horus was marked (Meltzer, 2002). Another purpose of god that these symbols represent was believed to be the protection from the desert god (set). Set is believed to represent a lack of fertility and had killed Horus father, Osiris. Horus is believed to have fought with the desert god and won on several occasions. Therefore, he could protect from the desert god, and therefore, protect from infertility and dryness. Therefore, Horus can be viewed as a symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt (Meltzer, 2002). Another sign in the cloisonné is the ankh. There are two that flank the king`s name on either side. This is also regarded as the key of life. In the Ancient Egyptian religion, it represents eternal life (Collier, 1998). It is a circle and a crucifix joined together. It was only used by the kings, queens, princess or princes or the gods. It can be seen to represent the deities of the afterlife. Therefore, it confers the gift of life on the person who has died. The ankh was made from gold since it is important and due to the fact that it is associated to the sun. In most of the Egyptians hieroglyphs, it is often portrayed as being carried by its loop by the Egyptian gods. In ancient Egypt, the person who held the ankh was deemed to have the power to take or give life from the lesser mortals. It is also viewed as a symbol of representing the life giving elements of water and air. It evokes images of a sun rising over the horizon. It was therefore, of belief in the religion that it indicated the daily rebirth. It also has the shape of a key. This shape inspires the belief that it can unlock the gates of death. It is therefore, viewed as the key of life. The crosses sign in the ankh represents the male, while the circle is a symbol used to denote female. A combination of the two in the ankh therefore, represents or suggests creative power or represents fertility (Collier, 1998). The other symbols used in the cloisonné...