King Tut: Egypt's Most Famous King and His Masterpieces - Free Essay

Introduction

Tutankhamun is considered to be special, mainly because of becoming an Egyptian King only at the age of nine during the c.1332-1323 B.C.E (Phelps, 2020). Howard Carter saved his history when he discovered him on his tomb in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings. Tutankhamun’s coffins were ideally crafted using wood. They were as well covered with gold accompanied by a variety of semiprecious stones including the lapis lazuli and turquoise. Among the many masterpieces that Egyptian art has received so far, the death mask is considered as one of the most significant. Various art principles can be used in describing the death mask, and most of them have changed with time. Some of them include the changes that have taken place on the description of the general appearance. That makes it easier for one to describe some of the things that can draw their attention, including some of the most noticeable things and moving to other things. It is therefore important to do its visual analysis, including the formal qualities of the art object, which is the individual design elements.

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Composition

The composition of the death mask was made up of gold, and its arrangement was initially rested directly on the mummy's shoulders. It was originally made of two sheets of gold which had been connected, and each of them weighed 10.23 kg totalling to approximately 22.5 pounds (Phelps, 2020). The arrangement of the work was initially fitted snugly one inside the other just like the Russian dolls, and the coffins were arranged in a rectangular stone sarcophagus. Although the outer coffin was bigger compared to the others, its arrangement seems played a significant role in preventing the lid from closing. The arrangement of the death mask is as well composed of the cobra, which is understood as a representation of Lower Egypt linked to the goddess Wadjet. Its key aim was to offer the necessary protection to the pharaoh.

Colour

The colour of the death mask is one of the most visible facial features which have already been compared to those of the mummy under it. The mask is blue around the face and gold nemes headdress (Abulebda et al., 2020). That is accompanied by a cobra and a vulture that sits on top of the brow. The golden colour in the death mask is perceived to be representing eternity mainly because the golden colour never decays neither does it erode hence lasting forever.

Balance

Balance is another significant visual element that is visible in the artwork, which plays the role of bringing a sense of equilibrium. Balance has been achieved in the death mask through the equal distribution of the visual weight of different objects. There is no single part of the death mask of Tutankhamen from the innermost coffin statue that appears to be overpowered by the other hence creating a sense of balance within the artwork (Abulebda et al., 2020). Development of balance in the death mask has played a great role in the aesthetic potency of the artwork, which can be considered as one of its basic building tools.

Contrast

As part of the principles of art, the contract has been used in the death mask of Tutankhamun with smooth textures that help create the visual interest of the artwork. The smooth surfaces which can be seen in the artwork are generally restful hence giving a sense of personality in the design used in developing the death mask. The smooth texture adds depth of understanding for anyone intending to understand Death Mask while still making it look much more realistic. The contrast has been very beneficial in the painting, calm and out-of-focus areas.

Texture

The death mask of Tutankhamun is composed of one sheet of gold which is accompanied by 150 items made of Egyptian ritual jewellery. The texture used by the artist is believed to promote peace among the Egyptian as well as an undisturbed afterlife. Other textures that were used in the artwork included coloured glass and faince (Abulebda et al., 2020). The use of such texture is perceived to be one of the most significant reasons why the death mask was not only developed for covering and protecting Tutankhamun's head and shoulders. The texture used in the development of the coffin was as well used to enable his spirit to recognize the body even during the afterlife.

Conclusion

The tomb from where the Death mask of Tutankhamun from the innermost coffin statue was recovered is perceived to be the only royal tomb that has already escaped the chances of being recovered by looters. Therefore, that makes it possible for one to develop a clear visual analysis which includes that formal quality of the art object, which is the individual design elements. Although there is no physical evidence that can be used as a proof on the circumstances of the key cause of death, one can do a visual analysis based on what is visible for the death mask. The death mask is composed of gold and the arrangement has been developed in such a way that ensures that it directly lies on the shoulders of the mummy. The death mask has a blue colour around the face accompanied by gold nemes headdress representing eternity.

References

Abulebda, M., Massaud, M., Mahran, I., & El-Mahdi, I. (2020). Some Aspects of Pottery's Significance in the Culture of the Ancient Egyptians. Journal of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels-University of Sadat City, 4(1/1). https://mfth.journals.ekb.eg/issue_15147_15148_(1/article_103375_49c47ad69ff756c8b1e56eeac9ed9dd6.pdf

Phelps, D. O. (2020). The Postmortem Agency of Tutankhamun (ca. 1336-1327 BCE). Distant Worlds Journal, (4), 137-153. https://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/dwj/article/download/70454/63806