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134246

Representations of Distinct Physical Features in Wall Scenes of the Old and Middle Kingdoms

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Last updated: 04 Jan 2025

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Abstract

This paper deals with the significance of Egyptian wall scenes, whether they depict stereotyped themes or specific individuals and events. The representation of human figures in Egyptian art was governed by well-known strict canons of proportion and perspective, which resulted in most figures looking similar and necessitated the addition of accompanying inscriptions to identify them. Such identification however demonstrates the artist's intention to draw specific individuals. A careful examination of these scenes demonstrates that the artist was observant of the physical differences of the people he represented, whether these were the result of race, birth defect, disease, or accident. Variations in the skin colour, hair type and style, shape of the beard and nose, colour of the eyes were observed, and so were body shape, with some shown as emaciated, dwarves, suffering severe in-toeing, hunched-up shoulders, or even blindness. Sudden physical effort required in certain professions resulted in hernias, and both umbilical hernias and scrotal hernias appear in wall scenes. Physical deformities, perhaps the result of accidents or diseases, such as polio, are represented in some scenes, while living on the banks of a river rich in dangerous aquatic animals no doubt resulted in accidents, as is commemorated in the tomb of Khnumhotep II at Beni Hassan in the case of a man who lost the lower part of his leg. These examples which were depicted side-by-side with other more typical scenes strongly demonstrate the specificity of Egyptian wall scenes, despite the restrictive canons.

DOI

10.21608/ijthm.2020.134246

Keywords

Egyptian art - wall scenes, physical features, deformities, Accidents

Authors

First Name

Sameh

Last Name

Shafik

MiddleName

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Affiliation

The Higher Institute of Tourism and Hotels (EGOTH), Luxor, Egypt

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Volume

3

Article Issue

2

Related Issue

20046

Issue Date

2020-12-01

Receive Date

2020-08-12

Publish Date

2020-12-01

Page Start

207

Page End

226

Print ISSN

2535-2318

Online ISSN

2682-3632

Link

https://ijthm.journals.ekb.eg/article_134246.html

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https://ijthm.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=134246

Order

8

Type

Original Article

Type Code

824

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management

Publication Link

https://ijthm.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Representations of Distinct Physical Features in Wall Scenes of the Old and Middle Kingdoms

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Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023