King Sahure and A Nome God & Demedji and Hennutsen Comparative Analysis Essay

Throughout past histories we’ve witnessed different forms of art and sculptures from different time periods. These changes occur for many different reasons and give historians a taste of what life was like people growing up in these times. King Sahure and A Nome God and Demedji and Hennutsen were both two sculptures created in the same time period. These two show the similarities and differences of life between their time period. Both statues at first glance have a similar appearance to them. King Sahure and A Nome God features the King Sahure, the second ruler of dynasty five. It was sculpted between 2458-2466 B.C. Next to King Sahure is a smaller figure labeled as the god of the Coptite provence of Upper Egypt.[1] At first glance this sculpture can be described as having a monumental scale, with a height of about 25 inches. The god coptite is shown reaching his hand out towards King Sahure, signifying the gods acceptance of King Sahure. The figures are considered high relief, in that they are protruding from the background. [2] The whole statues make is rough, an indicator of Ancient Egyptian Art. Demedji and Hennutsen was constructed during the fifth dynasty between 2465-2438 B.C. Like King Sahure and A Nome God, it shows two figures, husband and wife. Demedji was known as Overseer of the Desert, and his wife Hennutsen was known as the priestess of the goddesses Hator and Neith. [3]The husband sitting down looks massive in structure. He is wearing what appears to be a helmet, covering his head. He is sitting on a large stone, inscribed with hieroglyphics. His wife standing along side him is much smaller in statue. She, also has a headdress covering her head. The statue is in the round and has a monumental scale like King Sahure and A Nome God. The statue itself is only around 32 inches tall. The sculpture is a lot more rounded and smoother than the previous sculpture. Carved out of limestone, it shows a light beige tint. Something that really stuck out at me was the precision of space between the husbands arm and body. The bodies are sculpted with a smooth appearance. In both sculptures you could tell who was meant to be viewed as most significant in the sculpture. In King Sahure and A Nome God, King Sahure is larger in statue than the god of Coptite. This indicating that King Sahure reigns supreme over the god, determining that it is not a votive statue. It can also tell us a little s something about Ancient Egyptian culture, and what their values were. If the King was considered more superior than the god, it would give us an insight to religion during that time period. In the sculpture of Demedji and Hennutsen, the husband is seated and is also larger in stature. This also indicates supremacy over his wife. A difference that I picked up on with the two sculptures were the artists usage of space. King Sahure and A Nome God shows two figures that are submerged and connected to each other within the stone. They almost look like they are attached to each other. In Demedji and Hennutsen, the statues are seated very differently. The man and woman have a significant amount of space between both of them. Not only in proximity, but the spaces between their arms and legs is much more significant than the other sculpture. Giving the pair a sense of distance. Although both works King Sahure and A Nome God and Demedji and Hennutsen were created during the same dynasty and time period, they do have their differences. Each statue tells a story what everyday life was for the people of their time period. They give us a inside view of what their beliefs and cultures were like.