Preamble
For your convenience I have list below other posts in this series:
Egyptian Museum Cairo - Part I
Egyptian Museum Cairo - Part II
Egyptian Museum Cairo - Part III[1]
The Middle Empire ca. 2040 - 1785 BC
At the end of the 6th Dynasty, after internal confusion had led to the disintegration of the State and the intellectual world of the Old Empire (see Part II) King Mentuhetep II, who introduced the Middle Empire, brought about the reunion of the whole of Egypt and the renaissance of Egyptian art. In the valley of Der el-Bahri, royal burial grounds were laid out and the pyramids near Dahschur, together with the new residence in the vicinity of Fayum, were constructed.
Sneferu's Bent Pyramid.
Sculpture and goldsmith's art reached their zenith; under the dominion of King Amenemhet III, the art of portriature achieved excellence.
Statue from the Egyptian Collection of the Hermitage Museum (Russia).
The strong tendency of individual ownership of land was deliberately abolished and the land reverted to the State. The Kings of the 12th Dynasty unlike those of the Old Empire, no longer conducted their military campaigns with the conscripted provincial militia, but rather employed professional soldiers. We know from the contents of the graves what these soldiers looked like and what sort of weapons they carried.
Group of 40 Egyptian soldiers with shields and lances (Dynasty ASSIUT).
There are also models which make it easier for us now to understand the nature of domestic work, fishing and the water traffic of that time.
Spinners and weavers at work; from the tomb of Meketre (Dynasty DER EL-BAHRI).
Fishing-boats dragging a net with Nile fish: from the tomb of Meketre (Dynasty DER EL-BAHRI).
Model boat with linen sail; from the tomb of Meketre (Dynasty DER EL-BAHRI).
The Nile fish have not become extinct in the meantime - the fishermen still pull them ashore today. Since time immortal, these fish have constituted a part of daily food, particularly that of the poorer sections of the population; at a later period, however, the consumption of fish was temporarily forbidden.
The statuette of the maid-servant in a colored dress below is delightful - she is described as a bearer of offerings. She carries on her head a box or basket containing four pots and in her right hand she carries a duck
Painted wooden statue of a maid-servant with duck (Dynasty DER EL-BAHRI).
The steward Amenemhet below sits for his portrait on a seat by the table. The master of the house and his wife welcome their guest beside the high pile of gifts.
Part of a painted limestone stela of steward Amenemhet (Dynasty ABYDOS).
The Middle Empire has also been described by scholars as a period of the finest intellectual perfection, of significant literature and subtle art. Although the museums of Boston, Paris, London, Berlin, Copenhagen, Vienna, Leyden and New York have in their possession important sculptures of this era, nevertheless there are two very significant representations in the Cairo Museum, which corroborate the above statements - the cedar-wood statute of King Senusret (Sesostris) I, who wears the white crown and also the one side of a pillar from a chapel of King Senusret in Karnak, on which the king is embraced by the god Ptah, the 'artist' or 'sculptor'.
Statue of King Senusret (Sesostris) I (dynasty LISCHT).
The stewart Amenemhet sits for this portrait on a seat by the table. The master of the house and his wife welcome their guests beside the high pile of gifts.
The written characters are clearly legible. Twice above the King's head and again at the god's side, we recognise the oval frame which surrounds the King's name - the cartouche. Senusret was known as the 'Man of the Strong', a name which is born by the three kings of the 12th Dynasty.
Reference
[1] P.P Riesterer, Egyptian Museum Cario, 5th Edition, Lehner & Landrock, Cario, 1995.
For your convenience I have list below other posts in this series:
Egyptian Museum Cairo - Part I
Egyptian Museum Cairo - Part II
Egyptian Museum Cairo - Part III[1]
The Middle Empire ca. 2040 - 1785 BC
At the end of the 6th Dynasty, after internal confusion had led to the disintegration of the State and the intellectual world of the Old Empire (see Part II) King Mentuhetep II, who introduced the Middle Empire, brought about the reunion of the whole of Egypt and the renaissance of Egyptian art. In the valley of Der el-Bahri, royal burial grounds were laid out and the pyramids near Dahschur, together with the new residence in the vicinity of Fayum, were constructed.
Sculpture and goldsmith's art reached their zenith; under the dominion of King Amenemhet III, the art of portriature achieved excellence.
The strong tendency of individual ownership of land was deliberately abolished and the land reverted to the State. The Kings of the 12th Dynasty unlike those of the Old Empire, no longer conducted their military campaigns with the conscripted provincial militia, but rather employed professional soldiers. We know from the contents of the graves what these soldiers looked like and what sort of weapons they carried.
There are also models which make it easier for us now to understand the nature of domestic work, fishing and the water traffic of that time.
The Nile fish have not become extinct in the meantime - the fishermen still pull them ashore today. Since time immortal, these fish have constituted a part of daily food, particularly that of the poorer sections of the population; at a later period, however, the consumption of fish was temporarily forbidden.
The statuette of the maid-servant in a colored dress below is delightful - she is described as a bearer of offerings. She carries on her head a box or basket containing four pots and in her right hand she carries a duck
The steward Amenemhet below sits for his portrait on a seat by the table. The master of the house and his wife welcome their guest beside the high pile of gifts.
The Middle Empire has also been described by scholars as a period of the finest intellectual perfection, of significant literature and subtle art. Although the museums of Boston, Paris, London, Berlin, Copenhagen, Vienna, Leyden and New York have in their possession important sculptures of this era, nevertheless there are two very significant representations in the Cairo Museum, which corroborate the above statements - the cedar-wood statute of King Senusret (Sesostris) I, who wears the white crown and also the one side of a pillar from a chapel of King Senusret in Karnak, on which the king is embraced by the god Ptah, the 'artist' or 'sculptor'.
The stewart Amenemhet sits for this portrait on a seat by the table. The master of the house and his wife welcome their guests beside the high pile of gifts.
Reference
[1] P.P Riesterer, Egyptian Museum Cario, 5th Edition, Lehner & Landrock, Cario, 1995.
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