Ancient Egypt: Decorating Death
The Egyptians were known for various things. They made magnificent pyramids, had various ancient Gods, and created a writing system that consisted of hieroglyphs. However, one of the most famous aspects of the Egyptians, and one of the most regonizable, is their practice of mummification. Mummification is a pratice used on dead Egyptians. It involves covering them up with linen strips in order to preserve the body’s soul so perfectly that the Ka, or one’s soul, could return to the body for all of eternity. The mummy is then placed into a sacrophagus, a type of coffin. The sacrophagus, with it’s incredibly aesthetic design, is one of the most impressive pieces of art, especially for the time.
One of the primary reasons for the magnificent design of the sacrophagus is due to its Egyptians believing that the coffin was considered a permanent home for the deceased. Those burrying the dead wanted the dead to be living in something high-end. That way, the beauty of the sacrophagus would ensure that the soul felt comfortable and “at home”. Due to this desired comfort, (as well as the desire to flex one’s wealth and status) this design often came at a very steep cost.
The sacrophagai was often made from a single block of marble or cedar, which was carved over a period of months of skilled labor. They were painted using tempura (pigment mixed with a binder like egg or glue) over a layer or plaster or gesso applied to wood, stone, or cartonnage. The colors of the sacrophagai was plentiful, with colors like blue, which represnted the Nile River (the river that ran along Ancient Egypt), red, which represented life and vitality, yellow, which represented gold and divinity, and green.
The Sacrophagus also featured various designs. Many contained eyes, so the deceased could look out, or false doors, which allowed spirits to move between worlds. Hierogylphics and spells were also displayed on the Sacrophagus, meant to fend off demons or guide souls through the underworld. There were also various designs of Gods like Anubis, the Guide to The Underworld, and Osiris, the God of the Afterlife. They were essentially designed as divine protection for those who were mummified.
Sacrophagai depicted mythological, heroic scenes while also depicting the person as young, fit, and beautiful, even if the mummified didn’t necessarily look like that in real life.
The most famous sacrophagai is King Tut’s sacrophagi, created at around 1323 B.C. It was a 5 meter long, 2.75 meters high rectangular, gold coffin made of quartzite. The design was human-shaped, a supposed depiction of the King. It still remains where it was discovered, in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, Egypt.
Overall, the Egyptians were truly devoted in honoring the dead. Their designs not only helped immortalize the deceased, but are forever immortalized in the history of art.