How to draw a pyramid with a pencil step by step. Egyptian pyramids - encrypted messages to humanity? Egyptian wall paintings title

7 124

It is known that the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Greece left visual and versatile evidence of themselves and various aspects of their lives in stone, drawings, texts, architecture, and sculptures. The Egyptians tried to convey information about the knowledge they had achieved in various ways, placing it in temples, pyramids, tombs, and various underground storage facilities. In our time, much has not yet been deciphered and understood. Inside the Cheops pyramid, many rooms and various void channels remain unclear. One of these rooms is a room where on a table there is an open book about the history and achievements of the country during the period of completion of the pyramid.

In famous drawings and bas-relief images on stone slabs there are numerous technical devices of unknown purpose. Among them there are designs that resemble batteries and other sources of static electricity. They try not to mention them in the media. But in vain. Knowledge about them could be useful for our civilization.

The study of drawings and images of a technical nature on stone slabs naturally led to the study of the external stepped walls of the Cheops pyramid. This was also prompted by the fact that several years ago an interesting find was discovered inside the pyramid. In the passage leading to the Queen's Chamber, high up on the right there is an image of a man's portrait, about 10 cm in size. This image is similar to a photograph on a stone. So far no one knows how it was made at this place.

On the outer walls of the pyramid, numerous curvilinear grooves of large and small sizes were first noticed. Studying them at a certain lighting angle made it possible to clearly see an image (portrait) of a middle-aged man on the southern side. The height of the portrait on the inclined wall is about 150 meters. In his portrait one can see stones of different colors (lighter and darker). Surrounding the portrait you can also see other images (the trident of the Atlanteans and Scythians, a bird-plane, plans of stone buildings, pyramid rooms), texts, individual letters, large signs resembling a flower bud, etc. It is believed that the portrait depicts God Thoth (a real god-man), who lived during that period and assisted Khafre, the main builder of the Great Pyramid (see Fig. 1).

Subsequent studies on the northern side of the pyramid revealed a portrait of a man and a woman with their heads bowed towards each other (Fig. 2). Presumably the portrait depicts the son of Pharaoh Khafre and his wife, who made a significant contribution to the construction of the pyramid (he may have been the main builder of the pyramid). On the same side, other smaller portraits of people, signs-symbols, texts, and drawings are visible. The portrait images probably represent deities and prominent people of the time. This is a portrait gallery of the people of Egypt.

A century later, a portrait of one of the Egyptian commanders was applied to the image of the son of Khafre in such a way that all images are viewed without distortion, both early and late periods of application (Fig. 3). There are also multiple images on the eastern and western sides of the pyramid, which remain to be explored and clarified. These unique portraits and other The paintings on the vast area of ​​the pyramid's walls were painted within just a few years of the main pyramid's completion and installation in 2630 BC. top stone, now kept in the Cairo Museum (Fig. 4). This stone has highly artistic exterior painting. Its translucence shows that a special object carrying information has been inserted inside it through a walled-up hole at the bottom. Over the ensuing decades and centuries, new images and information continued to be added. The huge number of applied images, as well as their jewelry execution, is surprising. In terms of application technique, they are significantly superior to the drawings of the Nazca desert, the USA, England...

On the eastern side of the pyramid, from its top to its base, a strip about 7 meters wide is clearly visible from some kind of physical impact on the stone blocks. This is evidence that it was here that there was a transport device that could be extended in length for conveying stone blocks upward. This device worked (using electricity) using the solenoid principle. For transportation, stone blocks were attached to iron pallets and moved upward. And from above they went down in the middle part of the western wall. There are also traces of this descent of pallets on the western side of the pyramid.

The electric transport device received static (amber) electricity from the internal three triple rooms located in the pyramid itself, as well as from several generating plants located at the foot of the pyramid.
There is reason to believe the legend that after construction was completed, this transporter was hidden in an underground storage facility near the pyramid at a depth of several tens of meters.

The technology for applying portraits and other images on an inclined stepped surface so that they can be viewed from the foot of the pyramid without distortion remains a mystery.
It is possible that when decorating portraits, individual stones could have been subjected to physical and chemical effects to give them lighter or darker shades, absorbing or emitting light.

The ancient Egyptians are well known for their phenomenal architecture, works of art, and large pantheon of exotic gods. It was the belief in the afterlife and all aspects of its manifestation that made the Egyptians famous throughout the world. When viewing many works of art of those years, you will notice that all people and gods are depicted in profile (from the side). The drawings do not use perspective; there is no “depth” to the image.

What or why was this style used?

Funeral portrait of a young man. Egypt, 2nd century AD | Photo: ru.wikipedia.org.

One would think that the point was simply that this was the only way they knew how to draw in Ancient Egypt. This was a very, very long time ago. Remember, for example, rock paintings in caves - it looks like it. In fact, they knew how to paint realistic pictures in Egypt. The most famous example of ancient painting is the Fayum portraits of the 1st-3rd centuries AD. Many historians and art critics are scratching their heads over the issues of artificial primitivism in Egyptian painting.

And here are the ideas offered...

1. At that time, the “three-dimensionality” of the image had not yet been invented

Egyptian gods on the walls of Nefertari's tomb. Photo: egyptopedia.info.

All drawings of Ancient Egypt are made “flat”, but with small details. Perhaps most artists were simply incapable of creating complex compositions with people in realistic poses. Therefore, standard canons were adopted: the heads and legs of all people and gods are depicted in profile. The shoulders, on the contrary, are turned straight. The hands of those sitting always rest on their knees.

2. Deliberate simplification as a social aspect

An official during a bird hunt. | Photo: egyptopedia.info.

The Egyptians invented a great way to get rid of the third dimension and used it to represent the social role of the people depicted. As they imagined in those years, the picture could not depict a pharaoh, god and a simple man side by side, because this exalted the latter. Therefore, all the figures were made of different sizes: pharaohs were the largest, dignitaries were smaller, workers and slaves were the smallest. But then, realistically drawing two people of different status side by side, one of them would look like a child. It’s better to depict people schematically.

3. A direct gaze is considered a challenge.

In the animal kingdom: animals avoid looking each other in the eyes. A direct gaze is considered a challenge. Look how the dogs fight. Weak - facing a strong opponent in profile, or exposing his neck. The gods are so lofty and sacred that a person, even an artist, has the right only to observe sideways the life of the omnipotent. Only Death, an equally angry god, looks straight into your eyes. Therefore, a person can only observe, and certainly not participate in the sacraments of the divine liturgies.

The second answer might explain the imaging technology.
Painted or carved figures in stone are very similar to daguerreotypes, and even shadow theater, which has survived to this day since ancient times.

Let us remember how, since childhood, we all loved to play with the shadows of our hands. Daguerreotypes are easier to perceive in profile. Ancient craftsmen used shadows cast on the walls of the pyramids from a torch or the setting sun for templates. This technology made it much easier for them to depict majestic giant figures. Therefore, the artists were exclusively priests, Egyptians of elite circles. Shouldn’t we use the shadows of a despicable slave for the outlines of the deity?

Having mastered the daguerreotype technique, the Egyptians may have gone further. How beautifully and naturally the movement is depicted in the frescoes. Where does the ability to convey step and direction come from? Were there not strong analogies in the past with today's film distribution, cartoons, or even Shadow Theater? Perhaps we do not know everything about the pastime of the young pharaohs, their holidays of veneration of deities and initiations. It is symbolic that the gods of Egypt do not look us in the face. Or we don't look at their faces.

4. Religious version

The afterlife of Ancient Egypt. | Photo: dv-gazeta.info.

According to another version, the Egyptians deliberately made drawings of people two-dimensional, “flat”. This is especially noticeable in paintings where animals are present. The ancient masters painted them colorfully, giving realistic and elegant poses.

The ancient Egyptians, with their worship of the afterlife, believed that the human soul could travel. And since the drawings were mainly carried out in tombs and burial vaults, they could “revive” a three-dimensional pictorial image of a deceased person. To avoid this, human figures were drawn flat and in profile. This way the human face is more expressive and easier to portray as similar.

In order not to revive the image, the Jews went even further. They generally banned human images and therefore subsequently many Jewish artists (not all) painted people with distorted proportions. An example of a Chagall painting. Subsequently, Muslims borrowed this prohibition from the Jews.

Some versions certainly overlap, but which one seems most likely to you? Or do you know another version?

[sources]

sources
http://www.kulturologia.ru/blogs/090117/32943/
http://noemynord.blogspot.ru/2012/01/blog-post_12.html
http://ich.tsu.ru/elibrary/Ancient_East/Egypt/03Art/index.htm

Let's remember something else interesting about Egypt: here are the Mysterious Technologies of Ancient Egypt, and here are the little-known Pyramids of Nubia. See the Singing Colossi of Memnon and the White Desert in Egypt

masterok.livejournal.com

Canons of painting in Ancient Egypt

The basis for painting was most often walls with bas-reliefs. Paints were applied to plastered walls. The placement of paintings was subject to strict norms dictated by the priests. Principles such as the correctness of geometric shapes and contemplation of nature were strictly observed. The paintings of Ancient Egypt were always accompanied by hieroglyphs explaining the meaning of what was depicted.

Space and composition. In Egyptian painting, all elements of the composition look flat. When it is necessary to represent figures in depth, artists superimpose them on top of each other. The drawings are distributed in horizontal stripes, which are separated by lines. The most important scenes are always located in the center.

Image of a human figure. Egyptian drawings of people include features in front and profile equally. To maintain proportions, the artists drew a grid on the wall. Older examples consist of 18 squares (4 cubits), while newer ones have 21 squares. Women were depicted with pale yellow or pink skin. To create a masculine image, brown or dark red was used. It was customary to depict people in the prime of life.

Egyptian painting is characterized by a so-called “hierarchical” view. For example, the higher the social status of the person depicted, the larger the size of the figure. Therefore, in battle scenes, the pharaoh often looks like a giant. Images of people can be divided into archetypes: pharaoh, scribe, artisan, etc. Figures of lower social strata are always more realistic and dynamic.

Application of color. The artists followed a pre-established program, which means each color had a specific symbolism. It is believed that the origins of the meaning of colors in Egyptian painting were in the contemplation of the color tints of the Nile. Let us highlight the meaning of the main colors used by artists:

• blue - promise of new life;
• green - an expression of life's hopes, rebirth and youth;
• red is a symbol of evil and barren land;
• white is a sign of victory and joy;
• black is a symbol of death and return to life in the other world;
• yellow is an expression of eternity and incorruptible divine flesh.

The background tone depends on the era. The Old Kingdom has a gray background, while the New Kingdom has a pale yellow background.

Painting of the Old Kingdom

The Old Kingdom covers the period from the 27th to the 22nd centuries BC. It was then that the construction of the Great Pyramids took place. At this time, bas-relief and painting were not yet distinguished from each other. Both means of expression were used to decorate the tombs of pharaohs, members of the royal family and officials. During the Old Kingdom, a uniform style of painting was formed throughout the country.

Peculiarities

The first wall paintings are distinguished by a rather narrow range of colors, mainly black, brown, white, red and green shades. The depiction of people is subject to a strict canon, the stricter of which is the higher, the higher the status of the person depicted. Dynamism and expression are characteristic of the figures depicting minor characters.

Mostly scenes from the life of gods and pharaohs were depicted. Colorful frescoes and reliefs recreate the environment that should surround the deceased, no matter what world he is in. The painting reaches high filigree, both in the images of characters and in the silhouettes of hieroglyphs.

Example

Sculptures of Prince Rahotep and his wife Nofret (27th century BC) are considered one of the most significant monuments of the Old Kingdom. The male figure is painted brick red, while the female figure is painted yellow. The figures' hair is black and their clothes are white. There are no halftones.

Painting of the Middle Kingdom

We will talk about the period that lasted from the 22nd to the 18th century BC. During this era, wall paintings exhibited structure and orderliness that was absent during the Old Kingdom. A special place is occupied by the painted multi-colored relief.

Peculiarities

In cave tombs one can see complex scenes that are more dynamic than in previous eras. Additional attention is paid to contemplation of nature. Paintings are increasingly decorated with floral patterns. Attention is paid not only to the ruling class, but also to ordinary Egyptians, for example, you can see farmers at work. At the same time, the integral features of painting are perfect order and clarity of what is depicted.

Example

Most of all, the paintings of the tomb of the nomarch Khnumhotep II stand out against the background of other monuments. Particularly noteworthy are the hunting scenes, where animal figures are rendered using halftones. The paintings of the tombs in Thebes are no less impressive.

New Kingdom Painting

Scientists call the period from the 16th to the 11th centuries BC the New Kingdom. This era is distinguished by the best examples of Egyptian art. At this time, painting reached its greatest flowering. The proliferation of tombs encourages the development of painting on walls covered with plaster. Freedom of expression is most evident in the tombs of private individuals.

Peculiarities

The era of the New Kingdom was characterized by a hitherto unknown color gradation and light transmission. Contact with the peoples of Asia brought a fascination with detail and ornamented forms. The impression of movement is enhanced. Dyes are no longer applied in an even matte layer; artists try to show soft tonal tints.

Through painting, the pharaohs demonstrated their strength to the border peoples. Therefore, depictions of scenes reproducing military episodes were common. Separately, it is worth mentioning the theme of the pharaoh in a drawn war chariot, the latter was introduced by the Hyksos. Images of a historical nature appear. Art increasingly resonates with national pride. Rulers transform temple walls into "canvases" that focus on the pharaoh's role as protector.

Example

Tomb of Nefertari. This is a perfect ensemble of painting and architecture. Currently this is the most beautiful tomb in the Valley of the Queens. The paintings cover an area of ​​520 m². On the walls you can see some chapters from the Book of the Dead, as well as the queen’s path to the afterlife.

• The first surviving ancient Egyptian monumental painting was discovered in a 4000 BC funerary crypt located at Hierakonpolis. She depicts people and animals.
• The ancient Egyptians painted with mineral paints. Black paint was extracted from soot, white from limestone, green from malachite, red from ocher, blue from cobalt.
• In ancient Egyptian culture, the image played the role of a double of reality. The painting of the tombs guaranteed the deceased that the same benefits awaited them in the afterlife as in the human world.
• In Ancient Egypt, images were believed to have magical properties. Moreover, their strength directly depended on the quality of the painting, which explains the special care with which the Egyptians treated painting.

Despite numerous studies devoted to the painting of Ancient Egypt, not all the secrets of this art have yet been solved. To understand the true meaning of each drawing and each sculpture, scientists will have to work for centuries.

archeonews.ru

The investigation was conducted by a blogger.

Many claim that this is an image of an attacking helicopter and what resembles fuel containers located one below the other. Also on the bas-relief you can clearly see the hemisphere of an eagle standing on it and looking at the “armored tank”. Here two more types of aircraft were found, and judging by their direction, the “enemy” is precisely the “tank”. One retired officer even identified the helicopter as a specific US-made model and wrote that the entire set of hieroglyphs matched the picture of the military operation Desert Storm. This was the only war in which such a helicopter and tanks participated simultaneously.

It is difficult to argue after this that the Egyptians did not see the future by carving hieroglyphs thousands of years before helicopters were invented. Many people around the world have studied this photo. And we will conduct an independent investigation.

So, the details. Next to the helicopter, enthusiasts look out for a squat tank with a long gun. Below it is either a cargo plane or a submarine. Particularly impressionable people see a radar installation with an antenna dish in the right corner. A highly developed imagination allows some to assume that next to the helicopter is not a tank at all, but a “flying saucer”.
The fourth object is interpreted both as an airship, and as a typical UFO, and as an airplane with a large fuselage:

The technology, which clearly does not correspond to the time, does not even give rise to, but rather reinforces, the hypothesis that the ancient Egyptians inherited something valuable from some advanced civilization that existed before. For example, from the Atlanteans. Or from aliens from outer space, in connection with which the pharaohs have always been suspected.

The mystery of the “ancient Egyptian helicopter” was solved by archaeologists from the Munich Institute of Egyptology in 1992. After studying the picture, scientists came to the conclusion that it was completed by time. Cracks, traces of plaster, chips added details - for example, the main rotor of the “helicopter”, the cannon of the “tank”, the tail of the “plane”. And the “technology” acquired modern features. In fact, all these “constructions” were previously just hieroglyphs.

In addition to the time, it was also influenced by the fact that the text is essentially a “palimpsest”, that is, at different times different hieroglyphs were carved on the same stone. The text of Pharaoh Seti was “corrected” by his successor Ramses II. The title "who repelled the nine enemies of Egypt (nine bows)" was replaced by the title of Ramses "who defends Egypt and conquers foreign countries." Such cases of usurpation (appropriation) of the monuments of their predecessors are not isolated.


Over time, the coloring of the hieroglyphs faded, part of the plaster covering the old inscription fell off, and this strange combination turned out.

It is difficult to escape the impression that these signs are similar to modern technology. This is how our perception works: in the incomprehensible, we tend to recognize first of all what is familiar to us.

www.popmech.ru

Main features of the style

Any interior style has characteristic features that make it possible to recognize it from many room design options. This also applies to the style of Egypt. Niches, arches, tall Egyptian columns and half-columns are required to be used directly inside the premises. The walls are most often decorated with frescoes and paintings, and any decor should be stylistically designed in an Egyptian theme, for example with the image of a scarab beetle, sphinx or pyramid.

Egyptian style in the interior allows the use of a large number of textiles and carpets that cover the floor. At the same time, they should contain strict geometric patterns and ancient Egyptian symbols.

In this country, the interior spaces have always been decorated quite strictly. A special border was installed under the ceiling, which was decorated with various ornaments, such as lotus or papyrus leaves.

Color spectrum

The use of color in the Egyptian style is strictly limited. Since this country is located in the desert, the color scheme is appropriate. It is recommended to use neutral colors such as ivory, pale yellow, sand or beige. They are ideal for finishing ceilings and walls. You can choose materials of all shades of orange, since it also reflects the sunshine of Egypt, its sandiness. This has its advantages, especially when decorating a hallway or bathroom. Interior design in Egyptian style will give them a special coziness.

Various color combinations are acceptable. Egyptian style in the interior is characterized by a combination of gold with black, chocolate, green, and blue. As an option, choose a shade of yellow for the walls, and decorate the ceiling in blue with imitation stars. This will create a special impression as if you are in an Egyptian temple.

The color gram is determined by the climate in Egypt. Due to the constant heat, the walls were most often painted simply white in order to somehow neutralize the effects of temperature. Limitations in color also appeared due to the fact that natural dyes were used in their pure form to decorate the premises, without mixing with anything.

Features of interior decoration

Having chosen the color of the room, you need to carefully select materials for finishing the walls, floor and ceiling. And for this you need to take into account certain requirements:

1. Egyptian style in the interior is characterized by special wall decoration. Most often, they are simply plastered or lined with rectangular slabs made of sandstone, granite or marble. The upper part of the walls is decorated with borders in the form of lotus flowers or papyrus stems. As wall decor, you can use frescoes, pictograms, bas-reliefs, or simply colored stripes, or ordinary hieroglyphs on the walls. There may be other decoration options. For example, you should think about where and how to draw a pharaoh.
2. The ceiling should be decorated in the same color scheme as the wall, but be a little darker or lighter. In some cases, you can take a bright contrasting color, for example blue, which will be associated with the Nile, the main waterway of Egypt. Decor in the form of gold stars or Egyptian patterns looks very impressive.
3. Floor finishing depends on the climatic conditions in which the apartment is located. In our conditions, it is better to equip a warm floor, which is covered with ceramic tiles in the Egyptian style. A monochromatic covering with a mat made of reeds or animal skins looks original. Particular elegance can be achieved if you use bedspreads or stylized carpets. Cork flooring, laminate or piece parquet with a characteristic pattern are allowed.

Decoration of windows and doorways

Both doorways and window openings can be decorated stylistically. It is best to choose an arch shape for them. If possible, then Egyptian columns look good inside the room itself, or false ones can also be used, which can later be painted according to the style theme. To make these decorative structures, you can use absolutely any building material, such as drywall.

Rules for selecting furniture

To decorate the interior in Egyptian style, it is not necessary to make all the elements of the room so. It’s enough just to choose a light neutral color for the walls, and embody the whole Egyptian spirit with the help of furniture and textiles. This will give the room a special richness and luxury, which is why it will be the most significant expense item, and you are unlikely to be able to save on it.

The furniture must be made of wood, and only expensive and valuable species, such as cedar or yew. Particular attention is paid to details and the overall design of the furniture. The form is very original. First of all, this concerns the legs. As a rule, they are made in the form of animal paws. The armrests have a similar shape. Most often they are made in the form of a tiger or panther. There are Egyptian patterns on the facades.

Wooden furniture is decorated with special Egyptian-themed carvings, but not only that. Special combined designs look advantageous when elements made of ivory or precious stones are inlaid into the wood. Don’t be afraid to select upholstered furniture for your apartment, but you shouldn’t overdo it. Still, it is wooden furniture that should prevail. If the renovation is carried out in the bedroom, then you can choose a bed with a canopy; for the living room, a throne chair or a low sofa is suitable. In the latter case, the color of the upholstery should be combined with the overall color scheme, for example the color of unbleached linen.

Egyptian textiles

An Egyptian-style apartment must accommodate a large amount of textiles. You need to approach his choice with all responsibility. In particular, this concerns the selection of a special stylistic pattern, and texture is also important. Rich natural silk or satin will fit perfectly into such an interior. This will only emphasize the atmosphere of wealth and luxury. The monotony of curtains and bedspreads can be diluted by the presence of a geometric pattern, but it must be in harmony with the overall concept of the renovation.

Using Accessories

In many ways, it is the accessories that help to recreate a full picture of the Egyptian style in the interior. Everything matters here, so you need to think through every detail. When choosing textiles with patterns, you should pay attention to whether the strict lines are combined with the decoration of the borders.

Each room should have its own highlight, for example, a decoration on the curtains in the form of a scarab beetle or the head of a sphinx. Floor vases in which you can place reeds or papyrus will complete the interior. The presence of a large number of figurines that personify the culture of Ancient Egypt is acceptable.

If you decide to decorate your apartment in Egyptian style, you should not use all the details at once. You can choose only a few that you like the most and you consider their presence appropriate.

Knowing some of the tricks of the Egyptian style in the interior, you can quickly recreate the spirit of the land of the pharaohs in your apartment:

1. To “dress up” an apartment in Egyptian “decorations,” you definitely need to purchase luxurious and exquisite building materials. This is the only way to recreate an environment worthy of the rulers of Egypt. Luxury and wealth should reign in the room, so you are unlikely to be able to save money. The main color can be gold, which is associated with prosperity.
2. A few accessories will not be enough for a fully stylized design. The elements should be on the walls, the floor, and the ceiling, and at the same time be in harmony with each other, attracting the attention of guests and every family member. Therefore, you need to think through everything, right down to the pattern on the curtains and the shape of the lamps.
3. When choosing symbolic figurines, you must be clearly sure that you know their true purpose, especially if you believe in omens. The Egyptians are famous for their love of the afterlife, so they often used this theme in the design of their homes.
4. Egyptian style in the interior does not tolerate the presence of cabinets and bedside tables. It is better to choose elegant small wooden tables or rectangular chests.
5. There are two options for decorating a room in Egyptian style. The first of them is associated with the home of the true pharaohs, while the second is only an imitation in the spirit of Egyptian antiquity. They differ primarily in colors. In the first case they are brighter and more saturated, in the second they are dull, there is an antiquity effect. It’s impossible to say which one is better and more refined; they all have fans.
6. Each room has its own highlight. If your bedroom is decorated in the style of Egyptian pharaohs, then you can safely use shaded spaces, such as niches with mysterious lighting. Columns and arches are welcome.

A little history

Egypt is famous for its science and development in general. At a time when the Stone Age still reigned throughout the world, mathematical calculation in construction reigned with might and main in this country. That is why the decor must contain strict lines of ornament. However, attention was also paid to art. Sculptors, craftsmen, and artists had incredible skill and were constantly thinking about how to draw a pharaoh or a beautiful ornament. The dwelling had an abundance of different figurines and columns. In general, everything that gave luxury.

Egyptian culture is one of the first, most highly developed and progressive cultures in the world. It is her research that allows us to talk about a developed, clearly formed style.

To this day, the aesthetics of this mysterious civilization attracts attention, and it is not surprising that many people, even in the twenty-first century, want to use the Egyptian style in the interior of their homes.

Egyptian style and its main features

Egyptian interiors are characterized by various architectural elements - an abundance of stucco molding, columns, arches, niches, half-columns. Window and door openings can be lancet or arched. The walls are decorated with paintings and frescoes, of course, with images of hieroglyphs, signs and symbols of Ancient Egypt. Also, other elements of this great culture must certainly be present in the decor - camels, pharaohs, pyramids, lotus, Ankh, and so on.

An important feature of Egyptian interiors is the abundance of textiles. These include carpets on the floor, richly decorated curtains, bright sofa pillows with patterns. Furniture must be massive, heavy, preferably made of natural wood. A four-poster bed would be appropriate in the bedroom, and tables and chairs with carved legs in the living room.

Interior color schemes in Egyptian style

Egypt is an African, sunny country, which is why the color scheme of the interior in the Egyptian style, as a rule, is designed to create a warm, sunny atmosphere in the rooms, with bold splashes of bright accents. The color range is quite limited, colors are never mixed. The interior design palette is presented in colors such as yellow, beige, sand, and ivory.

Egyptian style means the walls of rooms are usually neutral tones, more often white or beige (shades of stone or papyrus). It is known that in the temples of Ancient Egypt the walls were covered with a continuous pattern of hieroglyphs, but this technique is hardly suitable for modern houses and apartments. Now it would be appropriate to decorate light walls with a contrasting border with active gold, bright blue and green accents, a pattern of the same hieroglyphs, lotus leaves and palm trees.

If we talk about color combinations, they are quite bold - gold is combined with chocolate, black, blue, green. By the way, ceilings are traditionally painted blue in Egyptian and Moroccan houses.

Egyptian symbols in the interior

Of course, very few people are ready to make drastic changes in the interior and completely renovate the interior in accordance with the Egyptian style. However, if the exotic aesthetics of this ancient country attracts you, then you can add an Egyptian touch to the room with little effort: after all, you can hang images in the Egyptian style or even real papyri on the walls, you can decorate the furniture with appropriate images.

There are a number of symbols that unmistakably refer us to Egyptian culture: Egyptian gods, the eye of Horus, lotuses and scarabs - several of these elements in the interior immediately create the desired mood.

Lotus

Egyptian signs and symbols play a huge role in the interior. One of the most important symbols of Egypt is the lotus. This flower is mentioned in the ancient myth about the creation of our world. The ancient Egyptians believed that the sun god Ra was born in the core of a lotus, and the flower itself was the throne of the goddess Isis. Even today, Egyptians treat the lotus with special respect; they decorate walls, textiles, and carved furniture with lotus patterns.

Ibis

The ibis bird was sacred in Ancient Egypt; it meant strength, striving for a goal, perseverance, and is identified with the Egyptian god of wisdom, Thoth. He lived among the Egyptians in the form of the sacred ibis bird and taught them a variety of sciences. In interiors, ibis are most often used in the form of wooden figurines; they decorate shelves with books and desks.

Cat

Everyone knows that the Egyptians considered cats to be sacred animals. They always depicted the goddess of beauty, love and femininity Bastet in the form of a one-color, slender cat with an elongated muzzle. The Egyptian cat is an integral element of the Egyptian-style interior; it is most appropriate to decorate bedrooms, living rooms, and recreation areas with cat figures.

Scarab

The scarab was especially revered by the ancient Egyptians, because this beetle is the personification of the Egyptian god Khepri, a symbol of the spontaneous generation of all things, the rising sun, a deity with the head of a scarab. The Egyptians gladly decorated many things in their interiors with the image of this beetle, because they believed that its symbol would give them strength and energy.

Egyptian hieroglyphs

Egyptian signs in the form of hieroglyphs are one of the first writing systems in human history; they were used as much as 3.5 thousand years ago. Hieroglyphs were actually drawings, supplemented with various phonetic symbols, they were carved on stone, papyrus, and wood.

Egyptian hieroglyphs are very original and picturesque; an Egyptian theme in the interior is unthinkable without them. Hieroglyphs, or rather, a typical ornament made from them, can decorate the ceiling and walls, wooden furniture, textile elements in rooms, vases, carpets and much more.

Ankh

The Ankh cross, with a ray at the top in the form of a loop, is the most mysterious sign known to mankind. This is a symbol of eternal life and youth; in Ancient Egypt it could be found everywhere. It was believed that amulets in the form of this sign prolong life, give health, and after death, a long afterlife. This symbol in hieroglyphic writing was part of the words “happiness”, “life”, “well-being”.

Pyramids and camels

For modern people, it is the pyramids and camels that are the main symbols of Egypt, both ancient and modern. Thinking about this country, many literally see in their minds a fascinating picture - a caravan of camels slowly walking through the desert, against the backdrop of huge pyramids.

The Egyptian pyramids, majestic and mysterious, are one of the great wonders of this world, their age is as much as 4.5 thousand years. The camel, the ship of the desert, is the main animal in Egypt, a symbol of vitality, endurance and unpretentiousness. When creating an interior in the Egyptian style, it is important to use images of both camels and pyramids. They can be depicted in Egyptian-themed paintings or textiles, or stand in the form of figurines.

Cleopatra and Nefertiti

It is difficult to imagine Egyptian history without the main queens of Ancient Egypt - Nefertiti and Cleopatra. Numerous images of them have survived to this day. The appearance of these women is mesmerizing - shining gold clothes and massive jewelry, tall wigs and complex makeup, subtle grace and elegance of poses, all this seems to take us to the era of Egypt, pharaohs, gods and pyramids.

You can decorate any room in the house with paintings and dishes with images of queens; their characteristic appearance, like nothing else, will help to recreate the true atmosphere of the mysterious Ancient Egypt.

Egyptian gods and goddesses

The ancient Egyptians had a very complex religious system, there were a huge number of Egyptian deities, literally every city and village had their own deities. The rulers of the country, the Egyptian pharaohs, were also considered gods, because after death they ascended to the stars, taking their place among other gods.

Now they appear before us, including in Egyptian interiors, in the form of statues and images in paintings, in the guise of animals, or people with animal heads.

The most famous gods are Anubis, the patron of the dead, a man with the head of a dog (his image is hardly appropriate in interiors), Apis, the god of fertility, a bull with the disk of the sun; his image in the interior can bring well-being, wealth and prosperity to the house. The god of the sun and sky, Horus, a man with the head of a falcon, brings good luck; his image, as well as the eye of Horus (the all-seeing eye), is also found in ornaments.

You can see examples of interiors decorated in ancient Egyptian style in the following video.

Most of the ostracons were discovered in excavations at the settlement of Deir el Medina, where the craftsmen who served the royal necropolis in the Valley of the Kings lived. It was located on the western bank of the Nile opposite the capital Thebes. The ostracons found here date back to the end of the New Kingdom (1314-1085 BC), to the XIX-XX dynasties.

Even in ancient times, around the 4th millennium BC. e., in Ancient Egypt a whole system of ideas about the afterlife developed. The funeral cult found expression in caring for the dead, who, according to the beliefs of the Egyptians, continued to exist in the other world. The tomb served as the habitat of the deceased, and therefore great importance was attached to its design. The tombs and chapels in the temples were brightly painted.

The murals of the tombs of kings and court nobility resembled an unfolded papyrus scroll, on which magical texts were written, designed to ensure the deceased eternal life in the afterlife. Such texts were illustrated by drawings with canonized subjects.

In addition to traditional motifs, less common ones also appeared during the New Kingdom. In the reliefs of the Temple of Amun in Karnak one can see an “Acrobatic dance” full of dynamics and expression and a peculiar landscape in the so-called “Botanical relief”. Landscape motifs are also found in wall paintings and drawings on ostracons, the compositions of which were replete with new depiction techniques: trees with a lush, spreading crown began to be interpreted more picturesquely, the contours of the branches and trunk were either completely devoid of a conventional outline, or it was done very subtly. The coloring becomes more refined, the colors more saturated. Date palms with monkeys on their branches often appear in landscape ostracons. Such stories suggest increased contacts with Nubia during the New Kingdom, since the Egyptians associated monkeys and date palms with this country.

Egyptian craftsmen used natural dyes. The color palette of the designs on the ostracons is more restrained compared to the paintings. Most of them are painted brick red or black, or in the traditional range of four colors: black (gray), red ocher, orange, yellow, brown, green (mostly light) and sometimes white. Blue paint was used less frequently.

The Egyptian master, as a rule, subordinated the variety of natural colorful combinations to the established color scheme, using the technique of coloring. Artists compared colors, adhering to the principle of decorative contrast. They avoided gradation of shades; this could give the composition a spatial illusion. What the masters saw in reality, they were able to organically translate into a conventional manner of depiction.

Already at the early stage of the development of ancient Egyptian art, the motif of a boat with the figure of a sitting or standing oarsman floating among thickets of papyrus and lotus became widespread in reliefs and paintings. This plot, associated with the idea of ​​the posthumous voyage of the deceased, was of a ritual nature. The stems of papyrus served as the border between the earthly and otherworldly worlds, and lotus flowers symbolized rebirth to eternal life. The image of the rower corresponds to the accepted rules for transferring a figure on a plane with a combination of front and profile elements.

"Egyptian woman sailing on a duck-billed boat."
Ostracon. XI century Doctor of Science e.

A true masterpiece is the ostracon depicting an acrobatic dance. In a rapid movement, the flexible acrobat sharply leaned back. The moving grace of the figure is emphasized by the falling strands of the wig. An interesting detail: the earring in the ear, not obeying the movement of the figure, remains hanging motionless.

This kind of convention can be observed quite often in ancient Egyptian art, since the artist never sacrifices the purity of silhouette lines for authenticity.

Among the ostracons there are sketches that, although with reservations, can be classified as genre compositions. They are based on direct observations. Such sketches are executed in a fluent, free manner. On a small clay shard there is a drawing of a naked girl crouched in front of a ceramic kiln. The artist visibly showed streams of air blown into the oven, through its transparent walls the vessels standing inside are visible. It is natural to assume that the master who made this drawing on a fragment of a clay vessel was engaged in painting ceramics.

"Monkey climbing a tree."
Ostracon. XI century Doctor of Science e.

Drawings on ostracons are thematically the most diverse group of monuments, including sketches of compositions and individual figures included in ritual scenes. These include images of gods, portraits of pharaohs and queens, nobles and servants. Ostracons with portraits of pharaohs were a kind of model models. They were made not only in drawing, but also in relief. In the ancient Egyptian language there is a word sankh, which figuratively conveys the essence of portrait images. Since the era of the New Kingdom, this word has been used to mean “one who is kept in life through his image.” Here we are talking about a ritual portrait.

Every portrait, including the ancient Egyptian one, is designed for recognition, and the transfer of likeness is connected with this. According to the beliefs of the Egyptians, the spiritual essence of a person - a double, which was believed to exist before his birth, accompanying him in the earthly and afterlife - was supposed to “recognize” himself in a painting or sculpture. Thus, the cult of the dead, which assumed eternal life, contributed to the creation of living art.

The manner of execution of portrait ostracons tended more towards the techniques of canonical art. Even in sketches from life, the masters adhered to an established system of rules. This concerned the combination of the head profile with the front of the shoulders.

Egyptian masters knew how to say a lot using spare expressive means. As a rule, artists were masters of line. By means of lines of different widths, the impression of volume was achieved, and within the contour a feeling of roundness of forms arose.

The ancient Egyptians were excellent animal painters. They endowed a number of animals and birds with divine properties, classifying them as sacred. In the process of embalming animals, masters learned about their anatomy, which helped them create convincing images.

Beasts in ancient Egyptian art are often represented as gods. From the drawings you can immediately see whether they are made from life or are a symbol of sacred animals. For example, sketches of baboons are made much more freely than their images transformed into the god of wisdom Thoth.

And yet, the elements of the future transformation are already reflected in the drawings, where such a characteristic technique as a combination of the profile of the head and the face of the shoulders was used. Using a similar principle, a human figure was connected to the head of an animal. Similar types of images, consisting of heterogeneous elements, are called syncretic these include the ancient Egyptian sphinxes with the body of a lion, the head of a man or a ram (the sphinxes of the god Amun at Karnak).

"A monkey playing a double-barreled flute."
Ostracon. XI century Doctor of Science e.

Ostracons often go beyond traditional motifs. Among them there are drawings of a parody and satirical nature. A number of subjects in which parallels to fables can be discerned are almost not represented in any other form of art, except for ostracons, papyri and individual reliefs. Here, traits characteristic of humans are transferred to animals - cats herd geese, talk with monkeys, moreover, the animals themselves change roles in relation to each other, for example, cats obsequiously serve mice, lions serve goats. Parody-themed ostracons cause disagreement among scholars in their interpretation: some see them as caricatures of the pharaoh and the priesthood, others as illustrations of fables, and still others as humorous scenes.

Of particular interest are the drawings of the “animal epic”. Among them are such subjects as the war of mice and cats, lion and goat playing checkers. Probably, the Egyptians also put an allegorical meaning into them, expressing in a veiled form their attitude towards the dark sides of reality. Parallels with the human world inevitably arise in a number of plots. Unfortunately, almost no texts of ancient Egyptian fables have been preserved in literature. The first evidence of their existence in Egypt dates back to the New Kingdom. Drawings of the “animal epic” cannot always be attributed to a specific plot. One of the ostracons from the Berlin Museum shows a ginger cat with a raised paw, talking with a baboon. Her image externally resembles a lioness, which hints at the iconographic closeness to the image of the goddess Tefnut, who, in addition to the hypostasis of a lion, also appears in the form of a cat. This drawing has a connection with the legend of the return of the goddess Hathor-Tefnut from Nubia. Perhaps this is one of the few visual parallels to the mythological plot. But the question arises: how are the bird in the nest (in the upper part of the picture), the cat and the baboon connected in meaning?

All elements of the composition are balanced in rhythm and color, and this is not accidental. On the left, on a small eminence, sits a cat, its muzzle bared, and in its front paw there is a rod with a curved end. Reddish stripes run through the animal's fur in flaming flashes. The whole appearance of the cat indicates that it is aggressive towards the monkey, which, on the contrary, expresses calmness and complacency with its posture. In the right paw of the animal there are date fruits. Above the monkey and the cat a bird spreading its wings over its nest. The grayish-blue color of the baboon and the bird hints at their divine essence, for this color symbolized involvement in the unearthly principle. If we accept the version that this drawing is associated with the myth of the “Return of Hathor-Tefnut from Nubia,” then the monkey should personify Thoth, the date fruit should hint at the scene of action, Nubia, and the angry cat should hint at Tefnut herself. In this episode of the myth, the god Ra, needing the protection of his daughter Tefnut, sends Thoth for her. Thoth, who took the form of a baboon, pacifies the angry Tefnut with wise stories, which were supposedly interspersed with fables. One of them, about a bird, is probably illustrated by this drawing. The meaning of the fable was that the cat entered into an alliance with the kite and they promised to protect each other. But she treacherously broke her oath and began to encroach on his nest. With this parallel, Thoth wanted to remind Tefnut of her responsibilities towards her aging father, the god Ra. This version combines all the elements of the composition in meaning.

Ostracons, which depict animals with musical instruments, do not have such a close analogy in the texts. It is characteristic that in these drawings the Egyptian masters did not illustrate the plot, but revealed its content through figurative means.

Ostracons constitute a significant but little-known layer of Egyptian art. They can be divided into several categories: sketch drawings, compositions for wall paintings and reliefs, quick sketches from nature, in which the masters made sketches of poignant poses, facial expressions, gestures, model drawings that served as a kind of visual aids.

The leading masters were fluent in the techniques of carving and painting, and each of them was an excellent draftsman. In sketches-models of compositions and details of individual scenes, they saw only a preliminary stage of work, without giving them independent artistic significance. They often simply threw away the ostracons after their role in the preparatory phase had been exhausted.

In sketches on ostracons, artists allowed themselves to depict scenes of comic, grotesque content that were not intended for wide viewing. The bold ease of these works, the variety of their themes, and their appeal to everyday life reveal another important side of ancient Egyptian art - unofficial and non-canonical, warmed by sincerity of feeling. They allow us not only to look into the master’s creative laboratory, but also to feel the beating of his heart, which responded to everything truly beautiful that life gave.