<< Chapter < Page | Chapter >> Page > |
We have found repeated mention of victory, associations with Apollo (the god of war), and celebrations of a triumph by the Romans. The laurel islinked with the olive branch, which is associated with both victory and peace. The wreath is a symbol of victory and imperial majesty and,in Egypt, the proof of innocence worn by the worthy in the Hall of Judgment after their death. The themes here seems relatively consistent: victory, peace,justification of actions and defense of innocence, and war. Let’s move on to the next symbol.
What do we notice about the pyramids depicted in the silk? There are three of them, and they are beside a river. Let's begin by seeing what we can find out aboutpyramids in Britannica Online . (To access the full version, you or your institution need to be a subscriber.)
We immediately see a familiar image as well as a brief explanation:
"In its most common form, a pyramid is a massive stone or brick structure with a square base and four sloping triangular sides that meet in a point at the top. Pyramids have been built by different peoples at various times in history. Probably the best-known pyramids are those of ancient Egypt, which were built to protect the tombs of rulers or other important persons."It does not take long to identify the three riverside pyramids in the silk as those of Giza in Egypt. Nor does it take long to find a source in ourlibrary for information and images relating to them once we have the right information: Alain D'Hooghe and Marie-cecile Bruwier, The great pyramids of Giza (2000).These look like our pyramids reflected in the nearby river. We can identify our pyramids as either those at Giza in Egypt or just some random artistic representation that coincidentallyresembles them. The sources we have used to procure this information will be valuable later, but for now the information we needed has been found.
The palm trees in this image have also appeared in photographs we have found of the pyramids themselves. Let's look for some additional meaning in one of the sources we have found on plants as symbols:
"The palm was the TREE OF LIFE in Assyrian art. As its leave never fell it symbolized everlasting life and eternity for the Akan people of Ghana. InAncient Egypt it was sacred to ISHTAR and ASHBART, and HATHOR and NUT, who nourished the dead from a palm tree before the tribunal of gods decided their destiny... Palm fronds were aclassical symbol of victory.Here we again have references to victory and the honoring of the victors. In addition, the palm seems to have symbolic value in the regionsof Egypt and ancient Rome. Which associations are being evoked in the silk--the classical reference to victory or the Egyptian link to everlasting life?
Notification Switch
Would you like to follow the 'Understanding material culture: deciphering the imagery of the "souvenir of egypt"' conversation and receive update notifications?