Egyptian Life from Small to Tall the Egyptian Galleries
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THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART A GALLERY GUIDE FOR FAMILIES Egyptian Life from Small to Tall The Egyptian Galleries z\ J— o Dool ,trjjn|33" c Temple of Dendur, Sackler Wing Suggested route of guide ...r1 a ••-:• •X in K •-•• The Metropolitan Museum of Art A Gallery Guide for Families Egyptian Life from Small to Tall This publication was made possible by a generous grant from The Gap Foundation Mediterranean Sea EGYPT When you see or hear the word Egypt, what do you think of? Write down some ideas here: Maybe you thought of sphinxes and mummies. Or temples and tombs. Whatever you imagined, there's a good chance you'll see it on your trip here. This guide will take you through the Egyptian galleries in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. You'll see some things that are really DI £ and others that are so small you might walk right by without noticing them. The Egyptians made many of the same forms in sizes ranging from tiny to huge. See if you can spot the same forms in different sizes as you walk around. Here are some things to keep in mind: Use this booklet as a guide. Check out the map of the galleries on the inside front cover for extra help. As you walk around you'll notice many wonderful things not included here. But don't try to see everything in one day — you'll just get tired and grumpy. Be kind to your feet and save some things to see on your next trip here. You may want to pick up a pencil at the Information Desk — please return it when you are done. If you don't have time to make all the stops listed in the book, pick just a few. If you have questions that are not answered by the labels, check out the light tables and wall panels in a number of the galleries for additional information about some of the objects. You can also take a look at the resource list at the end of this guide for books about Egypt. Some of the books are in the bookshop or the Uris Library here in the Museum. But don't just take our advice. Here are suggestions from kids who have visited these galleries: Get a map of the Mluseui m and take minutes to look at it. Then pick the objects or area you want to see. Amanda, age 9 Bring some stuff to do for when you sit down. Gregory, age 7 Questions about Egypt kids often ask: 9 Where is Egypt • Egyptians built their civilization near the banks of the Nile River, which provided water for crops to grow. Egypt is in the northeast corner of the continent of Africa, right where it touches Asia. 9 Why are the pyramids so big 5 Pyramids were tombs built for rulers. Their enormous size shows how important the rulers were and how much the Egyptians thought about life after death. Rulers were buried with many things they would need in the afterlife. Pyramids and later kinds of royal tombs also had temples nearby, where the spirit of a king was the focus of rites and ceremonies. Egypt was a fairly prosperous country, so workers and resources could be devoted to such huge projects. The Nile River flows from south to north. That's why Upper Egypt is actually in the southern part of the land, and Lower Egypt is in the north ern region: Upper Egypt is "upriver" from Lower Egypt. -tiv \ ir 9 What kind of government did Egypt have • Until about 3 100 B.C. Egypt was divided into two king doms, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the two kingdoms were united and ruled by one king. A later title for this king was pharaoh (pronounced Fay- ro), which means "the great house." He had plenty of help from government officials, who did such jobs as adminis tering justice or collecting taxes. 9 What did kids do all day • Some boys went to school to learn reading and writing. They might become scribes, or writers, who were important in helping to run the govern ment and oversee the temples. A few girls could also read and write. Most children learned their parents' jobs, such as working in the fields, tending herds, or practicing a craft like weaving or woodworking. Can you guess what occupations these people have? OK. Now you're a pro. Let's get going. Start in the Great Hall on the main floor. Enter the Egyptian galleries by facing the big staircase, then turning and walking to your right You'll come to a doorway and see Perneb's tomb in front of you. Take the corridor to your right. Stop at the quartz lion near the beginning of the long corridor. Lion Around This sculpture dates from the time before Egyptian writing and art had taken on their traditional forms, so there are different opinions about what type of lion it represents. What does this figure look like to you? Most people think it looks like a cub. However, not many statues of young animals exist from later periods, so some think this statue may instead represent a lioness. Many details have been left out. What are some of them? Why do you think the artist left them out? Keep going straight ahead. Do you see any other animal figures as you walk through the galleries? (As you're walking, keep an eye out for William, the famous blue hippo in Gallery 8.) What famous type of Egyptian statue has the body of a lion and the head of a man? xmqds y :j3Msuy Notice the columns in the middle of the room. The one you come to first was originally carved from a single block of granite! Ship Shape Keep walking until you come to Gallery 4, on your right Stop in the room with all the model ships. Take a quick look around. A model is a small representa tion of an object or building. Why do you think these ancient models were made? Egyptians wanted to be sure that they had food and pro tection in the afterlife. These funerary offerings were put in the tomb to magically perform in the afterlife. They come from the tomb of a government official named Mekutra or Meketre (pronounced Meket-RAY). Half the models from the tomb are here, and the other half are in The Egyptian Museum, Cairo. They are some of the best examples of ancient Egyptian models you can see. What do you think makes them so special? UOI1IPU03 JUa||3DX3 U| pUE p3|IE33p Xj3A 9JE Xsi)J_ IJ9MSUy Look carefully at the six wooden boats on the right. Each was used for a different purpose. Can you tell what they were used for (without looking at the labels)? If these boats were real, each one would be about 30 to 40 feet long. Look in the boats and see if you can find .. The figurines representing Meketre. What is he doing? I Someone making bread. I A diamond pattern. I A duck being held by its wings. I A lotus blossom (water lily). I A blue-green color. Pieces of rope. • An oven. 10 Before you leave, look at the models of the granary, the slaughterhouse, the cattle stable, and the brewery/bakery. Using the model below, you can draw figures in any occu pation you like. If you want, make up a story to go along with your picture and write it down. 11 s K \ \ \ \ After you leave this gallery, go to Gallery 5. Then turn right into Gallery 6, the room with a big stone offering table. Turn right again, into Gallery 7. Stop in front of the wall panels of Senwosret I (pronounced Sen-WOS-ret). Write On Hieroglyphs (pronounced Hl-ro-glifs) are Egyptian writing. What do you notice about all these hieroglyphs? Right — they're enormous. ^ Why do you think they're so big? spiuiEjXd 3ip papunojjns 11 asneaaq 'snouuoua SEM UO SJSM Xatp ||EM 31^ :JSMSUV £S In front of you are four of the 200 panels from the pyramid enclosure wall of Senwosret I. They were put together from fragments found at the site. Originally the stone was white, but weathering, years of being outside, turned it this beige color. What people, animals, and objects can you recognize? Write them down. Look at the top of the panels and find the falcons (a kind of bird). The falcon represents the god Horus and is identified with the king. As you walk through the galleries, keep look ing for more hieroglyphs. Where else are they? Hieroglyph is a Greek word that means "sacred writing.1 13 Secret Identity Walk past Gallery 8, into Gallery 12. These statues have a secret. Can you figure out what it is? What do you notice? All the statues in this room are of the same person — Hatshepsut. Do they all look the same? Why or why not? Hatshepsut (pronounced Hat-SHEP-sut) was one of the few female rulers of ancient Egypt. (Don't let the beard fool you!) She ruled as pharaoh during part of the New Kingdom period (I500-1100). Many of these statues are very large, and her temple is very large, too. Which statues show her as a female? Why do you think she wore a beard and a Shend'eet — a skirt/kilt — usually worn by male rulers? jaMod |E/OJ p S|oqwXs |EuopipEJ3 3JSM Xaqx :J3Msuy After leaving this room, go into Gallery 13, and turn left into Gallery 13A.