Art of Ancient Egypt: Discussion prompt
The culture’s funerary customs and how such customs are manifested in art
Human beliefs and cultures have been manifested differently in various communities across the globe. The concept of life after death is also interpreted differently. One of the greatest approaching of manifesting afterlife is the use of art. In ancient Egypt, art has been used for many years to elaborate on the culture of funerary customs and practices. The Egyptians have used different forms of art to elaborate customs that ensured their immortality in the afterlife. In most of the arts, the funerary customs are conducted by performing certain protocols and rituals such as casting magic spells, mummifying the body, and burying the dead with specific grave goods (Ryan & Tristant 67). In Ancient Egypt, one of the most common images used in funerary customs is the burial mask. Burial masks were very essential in ancient Egypt’s funerary customs. They were coated with gems and cold, thereby making them essential during the mummification of the body. The most popular burial mask in Ancient Egypt was Tutankhamun.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/dec/16/tutankhamun-gold-mask-egypt-beard-repair
The Tutankhamun mask was discovered in the year 1925 by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings and later reserved in Cairo Museum in Egypt. The use of this art in Egyptian funeral customs was to strengthen the spirit of the mummy (Cothren & Stokstad 45). It also guarded the soul of the deceased from evil spirits in the afterlife. The Tutankhamun mask provided the deceased with a gold face in the afterlife as well as to allow the spirit to recognize their body.
After considering the funerary customs in Ancient Egypt, there is a great difference in the approaches used in modern funeral practices. While the ancient ideas and practices of funerary rituals and beliefs of the afterlife emphasized the acceptance of the body by spirits and the use of grave goods for the afterlife, today’s culture is based on religious believes. Today’s culture emphasis on resurrection of the death and eternal life, which are based on religious faith.