LookingAssignment1

ARH2050:IntrotoArtHistory1:10973

Artiseverywherethesecretconfession,andatthesametimetheimmortalmovementofits
timeKarlMarx.

Artisindeedimmortal,asKarlMarxhadoncesaid.Artcontainstheideasandbeliefsof
thecivilizationsfromwhichithadbeenborn.Ancientcivilizations,suchastheMesopotamians
andEgyptianshaveartthathassurvivedhistoryandtimeitself.Theirartworkreflectsideasof
power,protection,immortality,andotherprinciplesthattheirpeopleheldsacred.Asculpture
fromMesopotamiacalledtheGuennolLionessandtheeverpopularsymbolfromtheEgyptians,
theankh,containaresymbolsofprotectionandpowerandareevenmorecloselyrelatedthan
onemighthaveoriginallythought.
TheGuennolLionessisasmalllimestonesculpture,measuringroughly8.3centimeters
or3.25inches,thatrepresentsamuscularandstronghalflionhalfhumancreatureina
protective,butnoblepose.Thelionesssheadisturnedoveroneshoulderwiththehipsfacing
thesamedirection.Thetorsohoweverisfacedtothesideandherfistsareclampedtogetherwith
theelbowsflaredinauthority,creatingabigpresence.Basedontheposethatthispetite
sculptureisportrayingwecaninferthatthelionessisattemptingtoprotectsomethingfromasort
ofdanger,orperhapsisjustbeingdefiantandlookingawayfromhersuperiors,rulers,orruling
figuresthatareattemptingtocontrolandmanipulateher.Evenfurthermore,maybesheis

defyingthecurrentroleofbeingawomaninamaledominatedsociety.Thissculptureappearsto
havebeenwornasanecklace,asindicatedbythepreciselycarvedholesbehindthelionesss
head.Thisperhapscouldmeanthatitwasoncewornasanamuletorcharmtoprotectthe
wearer.Asforwhowouldwearit,theobviouschoicewouldbeasoldierorwarriorsomeone
whoembodiesstrengthandcouragetodefyfearandremainpowerfulwheninthefaceofagreat
magnitudeofadversity.However,thisisasculptureofalionessnotalion.Theideaofamale
humanhonoringafemalecreaturewasnotacommonbehaviorinMesopotamiainthistime.In
naturethelionessesarethemembersofthepridethathuntforfoodandendupkillingmost
prey.Theyaretheprovidersofthepride,ensuringthateveryonehasfoodtoeatandtheyoung
areraisedwell.Theverynatureofthecreaturethatthesculptureisinfluencedbyindicatesthat
perhapsnotawarriorbutamotherorstrongfemalefigurewhofoughtagainsthardtimes,atany
pointinherlifetime,drewinspirationfromthebehaviorofthelionessesandwishedtoembody
thatsamecorebehavior:providingforthefamilyandraisingstrongoffspringtocarryalongtheir
lineage.
Asidefromtheseobservationsliesanotherclueastoitspurpose:onthebottomofthe
feetofthelionessaretwosymbolsaspiralingsnakeononefootandanopenpalmwiththe
fingersclosetogetherontheother.thespiralingsnakeappearstoindicatevariousideas.oneof
whichisrebirth:theprocessofdyingandbeingbornagain,eitherliterallyormetaphorically.
Muchlikehowsnakesshedtheiroldscalestomakewayfornewscales,thissculpturemayvery
wellhavebeenaremindertothewearertolikewiseshedtheoldskintomakeroomforthe
new.Whetherthatmeansmovingonfromatragedy,overcomingdisappointmentfromaprior

lifechoice,orevenacceptinganewwayoflivingthislimestonesculpturewasaconstant
remindertotheperson(s)whomayhavebeencarryingitwiththem.
Anothermeaningforthesnakepointstoanideathathasbeenwithmankindeversince
they'vestartedwalkingtheearth:divinity.Snakesdonotrelyonsitetonavigatetheirway
aroundtheworld.Theysincethevibrationsinthegroundandfeelheatsignaturesfromother
beingstomaketheirwayaround.Theminisculevibrationsthatsnakesfeelaswellastheminute
presenceofheatwhichtheycansenseisnotperceivedbyhumans.Becauseofthissnakescan
sensedangercomingfromfarawayevenifitisnotinsightwhilelargeranimalswithoutthis
abilitymaybetoolatetoescapeorpreparetofightbythetimethethreatisvisible.The
intelligentandcleversnakeescapesfromsaiddangerwhiletheotheranimalsarecaughtfending
fortheirlives.Thesnakesabilitytopredictdangercanappeartoothersasclairvoyance:the
abilitytopredictthefuture.Becauseofthisperceptionasbeingafuturepredictinganimal,the
snakeisconsideredadivinecreatureinmanyoldercultures.Sonotonlyisthesnakeguidingthe
wearerofthelionessbysheddingdeadweightandpastexperiences,butalsolookingoutfor
futurestrugglesandavoidingthembeforetheyaremadeknowntothemasses.
Ontheotherfootoflionesswehavetheopenpalm.IntheMiddleEastandNorthAfrica
thissymboliscalledHamsa.Itisaprotectivesymbolthatsissaidtoprotectagainstdarkandevil
spirits.Nowadaysthissymbolisseenmostcommonlywithaneyeinthemiddleofthepalmand
thehandfacingdown.AccordingtovarioussourcestheHamsaalsoprotectsagainsttheevileye,
asymbolinbothEgyptianandIslamicCulture.Becauseoflocation,thelionessbeingfoundin
whatisnowmoderndayBaghdad,Iraq,itisprobablethatthelionessofferedprotectionfrom
Islam'sdefinitionoftheevileyetheeyeoftheenvier,onewholooksatthingsorpeoplewith

jealousyandmalice.Thebeliefisthatthemalintentofsuchapersonwasenoughtocause
influencesupernaturaleviluponthepersonbeingenvied.
Withthesnakeandthehamsaengravedinthesculpture,anypersonwhommighthave
wornitwouldexpectdivineguidanceandprotectionintheirdailylife.asidefromthebeauty
thatisinherentinthesculptureisbeautyinitspurpose:toraisetheweaktobestrong.Lionsare
notweakcreatures.apersonwhoisnotstronginthemselvesortheirbeliefswoulddarenotbe
seenwearingthissymbolofstrengthandprotection.
TheEgyptiansalsobelievedinprotection.Theirprotectionnotonlyshieldedtheminlife,
buteventhroughdeath.Theankhisapowersymboltoday.Theankhisseenonmanydifferent
mediaandcomesinvarioussizesfromsandstonecarvingstogoldamulets,eitheradornedwith
beautifulillustrations,orleftblank,simple,powerful.
Theankh(alsoknownastheBreathofLifeandKeyofTheNileiscrossshaped,
withthelateralarmsbeingequallengthandshorterthanthebottomleg,withacirclethatsits
atopandtheintersectionofthecross,replacingaverticallyplacedarmatthetop.Throughout
Egyptianartitisseenbeingheldbygods.InEgyptianhieroglyphs,deitiescanbeseenholding
twoankhsacrosstheirtorso,asifprotectingthemselveswithit,orcrossingthemselves.Not
relevant,butthosewhopracticetheCatholicreligionalsocrossthemselvesuponenteringfor
mass,doingsowithblessedwater.(Thisactionappearstocarryitselfaroundalmostallreligions
insomeform.)Theankhsymbolizeseternallife,protectionfromdeathitself
Uponinspectionoftheankhsdesign,itappearstosimplybeacrosswithacircleatthe
top.Butlookingbackthroughhistory,humanstendtoincludesymbolsofthetworulingsexual
powersinouruniverseineverythingtheydo.Thepowersofaggressionandpassiveness,light

anddark,givingandreceiving,areseenintheankhsdesign.Thecircleatthetopcanbeviewed
asthereceivingelement,thepassiveandmorefeminineelement.Thearmoppositeofthe
circle,thegivingportion,isprimedandreadytoassertitsmasculineelementintoitsfeminine
counterpart.EventhegeniusEgyptianscannotescapefromtheinherenttraitofhumanbeingsto
involvetheirhumanityintotheirart!
TheGuennolLionessandtheankhhavemanysimilarities:Theycan/werewornas
amulets/charms,theyweremeanttoprotectthewearers,andwhileonerepresentseternallifethe
otherrepresentsrebirth,twosimilarconceptsandoneinthesameifthecontextsuitsthestory.
Themaindifferenceliesinpopularitytodaytheankhisarecognizablesymbolthatstillcanbe
seentodayinthemedia,games,school,andartsuchastattoosorclothing.Ithassurvivedthe
testoftimeasapopularsymbol,thelionesssculpturehasnot.Howeverlionsarestillconsidered
powerfulfiguresandrecognizedassuch,justnotthespecificartworkthatwasportrayed.
Soinclosing,wecanconcludethatthesepowerfulartworksnotonlyweremade
beautifullyandintricately,theycarriedthebeliefsandideasoftheculturestheycamefrom.
Power,protection,eternallifethesearethingsnearlyallhumanbeingscravethesemedications
toalleviateourmortalsufferingwhileonEarth.Tohelpusprosperandgrowintobiggerroleson
thisplanet.Tocureourhumancondition.