StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Egyptian shabtis' style and description - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Their representations of the human subject extended one’s existence beyond death into memory. Simulation and a harmonious, optimistic imagination was a part of their culture based on…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.5% of users find it useful
Egyptian shabtis style and description
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Egyptian shabtis' style and description"

Download file to see previous pages

Further, the concept of doubling or imitation extended to the mummified body of the deceased, which was viewed as a different form of the living body. These dimensions were considered as material doubles, while the essential parts of the self as ba, ka, shadow and name formed the doppelganger or ghostly double of the living person (Meskell, 119). After the body of the deceased was prepared and mummified, it was necessary to ensure that the deceased person would not be called upon in the after life to perform menial labor in the form of farm work or labor in the irrigation ditches.

The funerary figurines called shabtis, shawabtis or ushebtis were meant to answer on behalf of the mummy. Linguistically, the word shabti was derived from the verb: to answer, and their name meant “answerer”. The actual meaning of their name was the words “Here I am” which these servant figures were to answer when their master was called by Osiris, the Lord of the Dead (O’Connor & Cline, 122). Because of Ancient Egypt’s great and pervasive concern regarding their comfort in the afterlife, Egyptians placed differing numbers shabtis in the tombs of the deceased to act as “servants of the dead”.

From the period of the New Kingdom, the deceased were buried in the company of 365 of these statue workmen, which were meant to be miniature imitation copies of themselves. Their purpose was to work as substitute laborers. Around thirty-six overseer figures were also included to supervise the workers, in case of any resistance from them (Meskell, 119). Shabtis were imitation workers who were regarded as servants of their owner and were referred to as male and female slaves (Taylor, 114). They were represented as carrying hoes, grain baskets, yoke and water pots, apparently always ready to undertake their agricultural tasks.

The command to do their master’s work on his behalf was literally inscribed textually on their bodies, in the form of a potent spell. Power was directly

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Egyptian shabtis' style and description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words”, n.d.)
Egyptian shabtis' style and description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1544383-egyptian-shabtis-style-and-description
(Egyptian shabtis' Style and Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words)
Egyptian shabtis' Style and Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1544383-egyptian-shabtis-style-and-description.
“Egyptian shabtis' Style and Description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1544383-egyptian-shabtis-style-and-description.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Egyptian shabtis' style and description

The Great Sphinx of Egypt

He is also thought to have built the great egyptian sphinx.... During his reign, the egyptian kingdom obtained great prosperity.... A paper "The Great Sphinx of Egypt" reports that the nose and the serpents were removed by the Turks who had used it for practice, while others believe that it had been removed during excavation....
9 Pages (2250 words) Research Paper

Food Translation: Cultural Issues in Translating Menus and Recipes

ranslations must reflect the thought, feeling, and style of the SL as faithfully, flexibly, and satisfactorily in the TL, which means the TT must be close to the ST in form and substance, i.... One important and crucial application of translation that was discussed in the essay, is in the understanding of recipes and menus because of the nature that food acquires in the mind of the person, be it an American sitting at a restaurant in Cairo or an egyptian at a restaurant in Glasgow....
16 Pages (4000 words) Essay

British Women's History

Anne Blunt's literary attention to topographical detail, her careful drawings and maps which illustrate her texts, and her scientific, low-key narrative style joined with an obvious emotional attachment to the desert and desert Arabs provided a bridge to the styles of later women travel writers in the Arab world, such as Geitrude Bell, Freya Stark, and Elizabeth Warnock Fernea.... Her husband was an outspoken advocate of Arab nationalism who argued for egyptian independence....
12 Pages (3000 words) Book Report/Review

International History

These habits develop over time to become traditions of the named societies and certainly comprise the people's style of living. The widest description of civilization is however the definition of a more complex lifestyle that encompasses urban culture and practice of complicated activities such as farming and construction of complex structures....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Recent Discoveries in Egypt

… The author thinks that egyptian culture proves to be so interesting from the mere fact that it is so hard to pin down elusive facts.... In this paper “Recent Discoveries in Egypt” the author examines some of the theories proposed by famous scientists Dr.... Joann Fletcher, Robert M....
25 Pages (6250 words) Essay

Analysis of Art Objects from Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome

In this paper discusses the Great Pyramid of Khufu from ancient Egypt which bears a great significance in terms of egyptian belief in the afterlife.... This paper discusses ancient art from ancient Egypt and ancient Rome; one of the most significant preservation of Roman culture is the Colosseum....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

British Women's History

Her husband was an outspoken advocate of Arab nationalism who argued for egyptian independence.... This essay "British Women's History" examines Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates (1879) of Anne Blunt, a British woman who traveled in, lived in and wrote about the Middle East.... nbsp; The East also became the grave of several of English women writers....
12 Pages (3000 words) Essay

The Role of Dolls in Everyday Life

hellip; In fact, the everyday life of mankind can be traced to the changes in looks, style, and purpose of making dolls.... There was evidence of dolls being found in egyptian temples and children's graves.... The egyptian graves dating back to 2000 BC, so these dolls were usually flat pieces of wood painted with various designs and hair made of clay....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us