Lekythos Essay Example for Free

Lekythos Essay A lekythos is an ancient Greek vase made of ceramic; the plural of lekythos is lekythoi (Reference #2). It has a narrow neck, single handle, and is tall with a small, deep mouth (Reference #7). The lekythos was used as a flask, used to hold olive oil and perfumes (Reference #1), and were developed in ancient Athens during the fifth century. In Classical Athens, lekythoi were painted in white ground with figurative scenes. White ground is a form of art used by Athenians in which they created the vase, fired it, and then the lekythos was painted in white. The figures and scenes were then painted on top of the white ground. This method meant that the paintings did not last as well, but were very beautiful in their original state (Reference # 8). Lekythoi were mainly used during funerary rituals, but they were also used by Greek athletes. In ancient Greece, the athletes would practice and compete outdoors, getting themselves covered in sand and dirt. Rather than cleaning themselves at the bath-house, they would rub themselves down with olive oil from a lekythos, then scrape off the excess dirt and oil, leaving their skin soft and clean (Reference #8). The lekythoi used by athletes would be covered in depictions of scenes from Greek mythology, often including imagery of Greek goods such as Zeus and Achilles (Reference #8). The role of lekythoi in funerary rituals is made clear by their excavation from cemeteries and tombs (Reference #7). A lekythos that was meant to be used during a burial ceremony would be painted with scenes of mourning or scenes from the life of the deceased (Reference #5). These lekythoi were sometimes painted with scenes depicting Greek gods, perhaps to cast the deceased in the light of heroic warriors of history (Reference #8). Researchers have been able to put together the funeral process the Athenians went through, and have found that lekythoi played a key role in funerary rites. Firstly, a lekythos would be brought in during the preparation of the body for burial. The body would be prepared by a woman from the same household as the deceased, and it would then be anointed by the oil from the lekythos (Reference #6). Secondly, some lekythoi were filled with scented oils and perfumes and placed around the body, while others were set along the approach to the grave or placed beside the tomb (Reference #5). This was done as a part of the religious focus of the burial ceremony, and was given as an offering. Lastly, a lekythos would often be brought to the gravesite or tomb of the deceased after the burial. It was very important to ancient Greeks to visit the gravesite of loved ones quite often, and when they visited, they would bring offerings to the deceased such as fruit, a feast, or a lekythos filled with olive oil or perfume (Reference #6). In time, the Lekythos was developed into a much larger version of itself, being called â€Å"Huge Lekythoi†. These were often left on top of a grave, or beside a tomb opening, almost as an ancient grave marker (Reference #7). Though they would not be inscribed with any words or the name of the deceased, they would have a painted scene depicting the deceased, some scene from their life, or a scene depicting a sport or activity the deceased greatly enjoyed. Many lekythoi have been recovered and are currently housed in museums all over the world. Though many are not in their original glory, most have been reconstructed. New lekythoi have been made in Greece and are still used today in some small Greek communities during the preparation of the body, and left by the tombstone of the deceased.

Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology Essay -- Celtic Germanic Mytho

Heroes of Celtic and Germanic Mythology Throughout the myths of the Celtic and Germanic peoples of northern Europe tales of epic heroes and their extraordinary deeds abound. These tales depict heroes performing a variety of incredible feats; many of which appear to be magical, superhuman, and, quite honestly, utterly impossible (e.g., wading across oceans, defeating armies virtually single-handedly, and other astounding exploits). Since the Celtic and Germanic tribes of antiquity inhabited neighboring lands and lived in close proximity to one another (as many of their modern descendants continue to do: i.e., in Great Britain), it is not surprising that they often established intimate relationships with each other via commerce, conquest, and the spread of religious beliefs. In light of this intimate association, it is not astonishing that the cultural and consequent poetic traditions of these ethnic groups were often remarkably analogous. Frequently, the archetypical champions of Celtic and Germanic mythology exhibited similar characteristics regardless of whether or not they were Anglo-Saxon, Rhenish, or Irish. Indeed, there are many parallels between the behaviors demonstrated by the heroes of Beowulf, the Nibelungenlied, and the Tain Bo Cuailnge. Some of the most striking of these parallels are: the noble and divine lineage of the hero; the hero’s increased endurance and his exceptional combat abilities (including the use of powerful weapons and berserker behavior); the hero’s ability to attain victory against seemingly insurmountable odds or indestructible creatures; and the ritual practices of the taking of heads and the giving of rings. The epic poem Beowulf may be considered unique in the context of mythol... ...kely exception being Cuchulainn). Interestingly, as a result of the parallels between these champions, one can gain important insights regarding the values of ancient Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, or Rhenish culture by examining any one of them. Bibliography Beowulf. Translated by Chickering, Jr., Howell D. New York: Random House, Inc. 1977. Crossley-Holland, Kevin. The Norse Myths. New York: Random House, Inc. 1980. Davidson, H.R. Ellis. Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions. Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press. 1988. The Nibelungenlied. Translated by Hatto, A.T. London: The Penguin Group. 1969. Powell, T.G.E. The Celts. New York: Thames and Hudson, Inc. 1980. The Tain: From the Irish Epic Tain Bo Cuailnge. Translated by Kinsella, Thomas. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. 1969.

Egyptian art Essay

Egyptian art is one of the most fascinating topics in both ancient art and ancient history. As a culture, the Egyptians truly represented themselves through their art and as a result produced a body of work that is rivaled only by the Renaissance. In the two reliefs pictured, the Egyptian ideal is pictured. This compares to the palette of King Narmer and the tomb of Ti in Saqqara. One thing that we can say about Egyptian art is that it does not change much over time. This can clearly be seen in the overall style of both of the reliefs pictured. One was done during the Sixth Dynasty and the other was done during the First Intermediate Period. The similarities in style are marked. From the stylized view of the head to the way the arms and body are drawn, the similarities are striking. This is compared with the Palette of King Narmer, which is from the Predynastic period. The same stylized images are displayed in this palette as in the two reliefs. Even in the tomb painting of Ti at Saqqara, one sees the same stylized images in living color. When we look at the Portrait of Ni’Ankhesut, one sees a relief image of a male wearing a headdress of non-noble bearing. He is also wearing a necklace, though we cannot see much detail. Our subject is seated, and above him we see some Egyptian hieroglyphics. These are probably cartouche in nature, that is, they reflect the subject’s name and rank within Egyptian society. The relief is composed in limestone, which was the primary building material of the time. The Funerary Stele of Iamu is another typical work of Egyptian art. Like the portrait, it is also composed limestone, but in this case, it tells a story. The Egyptians took their afterlife traditions and rituals very seriously and to that end, made sure the story of the deceased’s life and afterlife was told in detail. In this case, the tale being told is that of death. This relief shows the funerary rites as they are performed as well as hieroglyphics that explain what exactly is going on. In this case, the relief shows the process involved in serving the master and in creating the facade that is the Egyptian afterlife. Both of these reliefs contrast to the Narmer Palette. This is a two-sided object that is arrowhead shaped. Many archeologists feel as though it shows the dominance of Upper Egypt over Lower Egypt. Narmer is presumed to be a mythical god-king who presumably united Upper and Lower Egypt. Narmer is displayed prominently on both sides of the palette, and while there are some themes that are common in Mesopotamian art, there are aspects that are uniquely Egyptian. The partial profiling of the figure with the front view of the hands is Egyptian in and of itself and shows that Egyptian art had a style all its own even at the early juncture of its history. This palette also tells a story, that is, it tells the bloody story of the unification of the two parts of Egypt. This is also a theme that is indicative to Egyptian art. The nature of the storytelling that each piece tells shows that the Egyptians are very much interested in showing their own story and history through their art. Even at this early juncture, they saw art as a means of cultural transmission, and used it effectively to create the story of their own beginnings. Finally, the last piece of art is the tomb of Ti at Saqqara. This piece of art is unlike the others, in the fact that it still retains its original color. In this scene, we see who we can presume is Ti sailing on the Nile that is overflowing with fish and other marine life. He is with other warriors and is presumably hunting hippopotami and birds in the marshes. Again, the relief is highly stylized with no variations in the human form. As with the other reliefs noticed, there are no variations in the human form. Each person looks almost identical to the last, and the only way that one would know the difference between the various people is by looking at their cartouche or knowing what tomb one is in. It is even difficult to tell who is who in the relief images without the help of the hieroglyphic writing. What are the ways we tell who is who in the various relief pictures that we are exposed to in Egyptian art? One of the major ways that we can tell is by looking at the size of the person that is displayed. What does this tell us? What it says is that the largest person in the picture is usually is the main subject of the tomb or the hieroglyphics. The smaller figures are usually minor players or servants. Even spouses are sometimes displayed smaller in respect to the main figures. The main protagonist of the painting or relief is prominently displayed with the accompanying cartouche and tomb writings more than capably tell who is who in the grand story. If we look at the portrait of Ni’Ankhesut, we see that he is the largest figure in the relief. In the Funerary Stele of Iamu, we see that Iamu is most prominently displayed. Again, both of these examples show the casual observer who is the prominent figure in the relief. Additionally, the cartouche and the tomb writings show us easily who is the main protagonist. In the Narmer palette, Narmer is prominently displayed on one side of the palette, taking up nearly the entire side. This is the most telling sign of Egyptian art and supremacy of the figure. By making King Narmer the largest figure in the palette, the artist is showing the supremacy and the importance of Narmer in the history of Egypt. What can we learn from Egyptian art? We can learn that this group created a fascinating body of work that has permeated the world in which not only they lived, but we live as well. Without the Egyptians, we would not have modern portrait art and the art of realism that exists today. Though Egyptian art is highly stylized, we see shades of ourselves in their work. All cultures can look to the Egyptians for their own inspiration for their own art and culture. Each culture took from the Egyptians to form their own unique art forms and their own stylizations and themes. As a modern culture, we can look to the Egyptians for inspiration for the future, and we can look for them to reinforce our past so we can continue to learn more about the fascinating culture that continues to affect us even today.

Discussing the Positive and Negative Aspects of Including...

1.0 Introduction Play is a common word used during the early year’s program in the current educational era. Play is been implemented as a subject in the current international school that I am attached too. Children play every day and it is now seen as being crucial to the development of the child (Tassoni and Hucker, 2000:1). Playing is a way of experiencing bodily, emotional sensations through engaging with the immediate real, imagined social and physical environment in any number of ways, when the player has a sense of control (Wolmuth, 2000:2). Thus, play carries a heavy weight in student’s early days. Tassoni and Hucker added by stating that playtime is often said to be child’s work carry out playing (2000:1a). Truly speaking,†¦show more content†¦A German Educationist, Friedrich Froebel said that ‘recognition of the importance of play as a central integrating element in a childs development and learning’ (Scherle et al, 2014). Downey and Garzoli from S onoma State University strengthens the statement by stating that Maria Montessori and Froebel developed the curriculum by including play as a subject, which subsequently gives teachers an insight into what children are interested in. These results to develop the curriculum from those interests discovered (2007). In terms of child development, The Montana State University supports Froebel’s theory by stating that play helps children to learn social and motor skills as well as cognitive thinking skills (2010). For example, during play activity, children are able to communicate along with their peers in their settings. During certain period, play is helpful and provides children not only knowledge but also the skills to get along with other (Bailey, 2014). Therefore, it is a basic way of children practicing their communications skills as well as their social skills during play. Apart from that, play should be included in the curriculum in order to develop children’s creativity. During playtime, students are able to develop and solve problem creativity in addition allows children to feel good about themselves (Bower, 2010). Play is also recreation quite literally; play allows one to create and recreate the world through one’s won senses and feelings in a relaxed andShow MoreRelatedThe Foundation Phase Of The Curriculum2216 Words   |  9 PagesThe Foundation Phase of the curriculum is the curriculum which has been set for children between the ages of 3 and 7 and has been based around the creativity, imagination of the child and to help with the meeting of the developmental needs of the child. In 2008 the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) decided to bring together the Early Years curriculum and the 5-7 years curriculum, which then created the Framework for Children’s Learning for 3 to 7-year olds in Wales (The Framework). 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