1. Home
  2. Understanding material culture
  3. Understanding material culture
  4. Analyzing symbols in artifacts

0.4 Analyzing symbols in artifacts: the souvenir of egypt  (Page 6/8)

<< Chapter < Page
  Understanding material culture     Page 6 / 8
Chapter >> Page >

Symbol 2

Symbol 2
Symbol 2 is obviously some sort of plant, one with elliptical leaves and yellowish berries. It is also presented in a circular shape that providesthe border for the images of the silk, resembling both a wreath and a laurel. In our earlier work on dictionaries of symbolism, we found a book that may help here: Nature and its symbols .We find Laurel listed in the index.
Laurel. Meanings: Victory, eternal life, attribute of the allegory of Victory. From Lucia Impelluso, Nature and its symbols (2004).
The summary is accompanied by a brief description of the use of the laurel as a symbol throughout history. Here is just a paragraph:
"In ancient Rome, the laurel tree was sacred to Jove, and victorious generals used to send messengers ahead to offer laurel branches to the god's statue on the Capitol in Rome. Thegeneral would then enter the city carrying laurel branches as emblems of his victory."
From Lucia Impelluso, Nature and its symbols (2004).
Let's look in another source found in our thread that seems even more likely to be an indexed reference work: James Hall's Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols in Eastern and Western Art (1994).Once we have the hard copy in our hands,we can look up our symbol alphabetically:
"Laurel. Once believed to be a protection against disease, the bay laurel was sacred to APOLLO, one of whose roles was that of healer and patron of medicine. It featured in Greek andRoman festivals in honour of the god; victors in his Pythian games of Delphi, which included contests of poetry and music, were awarded a laurel crown.... It was worn by Roman emperorswhen celebrating a triumph..."
from James Hall's Illustrated dictionary of symbols in eastern and western art
In a third source, Rupert Shepherd's 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean in Art and Myth (2002),found in close proximity to the others on the shelves,we find another way to approach the meaning of our symbol:
"Wreath. Since classical times wreaths have symbolized victory and have been held by personifications ofVICTORY.... In Ancient Egypt, 'wreaths of justification' made of OLIVE leaves were associated with the dead and with OSIRIS--the ruler of the next world--symbolizing the proven innocence ofthe deceased in the Hall of Judgement."
"Wreath." From Rupert Shepherd's 1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean in Art and Myth (2002)
Let's look in a final source suggested by our experts, Meyer's A Handbook of Ornament .We find the Laurel associated with the olive:
"The Laurel and the Olive owe their introduction into ornamentation to their symbolic significance.... The Laurel was sacredto Apollo. It was the symbol of atonement; singers and conquering heroes were crowned with it; and in a similar sense it is still used as a symbol of glory. The Olive was sacred toAthens; Olive branches were the prize of victory at the Olympian games. In Rome the victorious, Laurel-crowned heroes were met on their return home by slaves bearing wreaths ofOlive boughs. The Olive branch is the symbol of peace."
Excerpt from Meyer's A Handbook of Ornament
We also find a few familiar images:
Drawing of "The Laurel and the Olive" from Meyer's A Handbook of Ornament
Drawing of "The Laurel, the Bay, and the Olive" from Meyer's A Handbook of Ornament
Let's review what we have learned so far.
<< Chapter < Page Page > Chapter >>

Read also:

Get Jobilize Job Search Mobile App in your pocket Now!

Get it on Google Play Download on the App Store Now




Source:  OpenStax, Understanding material culture: deciphering the imagery of the "souvenir of egypt". OpenStax CNX. Oct 08, 2006 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col10301/1.7
Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

Notification Switch

Would you like to follow the 'Understanding material culture: deciphering the imagery of the "souvenir of egypt"' conversation and receive update notifications?

Ask