As one of the oldest civilizations in the world, Egypt has a rich culture. But nothing chronicles their vast history more than the precious artwork that it has been known for throughout time. Egyptian artwork reflects not only a profound taste for aesthetics but more importantly, it is a representation of their culture—of myths, legends, rituals, history that affect their daily lives. The Great Sphinx, the testament of their aptitude for sculpting, is patterned after the sun god and was inspired by the puzzling Greek mythological figure. Their giant pyramids show their respect and worship for their rulers, as well as exemplifies their burial traditions. Statues are notably formed to imitate deities and kings and queens as a means for them to manifest themselves physically in the world, consequently giving them eternal life. Ancient Egyptian Paintings Their paintings portray concrete symbols, illustrating stories that instruct about life and after-life. More often than not, they depict a person’s life after death, protected by gods and goddesses, rich and majestic even after departing from earth. The myth dictates that without these portraits, life after death would be terrible. The paintings, normally scratched on stone or soil surfaces, are painted colorful with natural minerals like gypsum or calcium carbonate. Such is the life of the Egyptians—always grand, vast, none too simple. Egyptian Face Makeup/Paintings While makeup is a contested form of art, Egyptians undoubtedly put the same effort and determination on their faces as they did their architecture, sculpture and literature. Beauty was an important component in an Egyptian’s life—even after death. Even before test tubes and Bunsen burners and chemistry were ever realized, Egyptians were already trying out kohl, saffron, ochre and wine, enhancing the natural redness of their lips, adding blush to their cheeks and darkening the lines of their eyes. Times haven’t changed, even in ancient Egypt, beauty was revered and praised. Ancient Egyptian metal work and jewelry They’ve also proven mastery of metal work. Tombs, bangles, headdresses, crowns made of precious metals and packed with gems. Yet again these weren’t purely decorative. Their jewelry, especially, were religiously themed—shaping them into scarab beetles, falcons, cats and other religious symbols. Gold and bronze were favored materials matched with softer gems like turquoise and jasper. Emerald, known to be Queen Cleopatra’s favorite, is also frequently used. Every aspect of the jewelry had a symbolic meaning, including color. Green means fertility and hope while red was for mourning. Blood-red gems had to be worn to honor the goddess Isis after someone dies. Ancient Egyptians would mold these materials into brooches, corsets, earrings and diadems. Now, thousands of years later, we can still see these ancient artworks in our daily lives. Egyptian Jewelry especially has derived from the wonderful examples of Egyptians. Even the ancient tradition of the scarab beetle is used today, although not for worship, as a popular shape for scarab jewelry. Egyptian mythology has also inspired some pieces.
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