The Role of the King

Grade level: Middle school and high school

Objectives for students:
· to learn that images of Egyptian kings were identified by special symbols, costume, and materials

· in a wider sense, to understand that  rulers, religious leaders, and other elite members of society in many civilizations around the world were identified in art and ceremonies by particular adornment

Visual materials:
The visual materials listed below are in an order that develops the progression of the lesson.

Statue of Hatshepsut
Fragment of the head of a queen
Akhenaten sacrificing a duck
West wall from a chapel built by Sety I for his father, Ramesses I
Tutankhamun wearing the blue crown
Fragment of a battle scene
Sphinx of Senwosret III
Pectoral of Princess Sithathoryunet

Advance preparation:
Read the descriptions and discussion points for the images listed above; the sections on the role of the king in Ancient Egyptian Beliefs; and the hieroglyphs frequently used for royal identification. You may want to print out and photocopy the royal regalia and symbols of Upper and Lower Egypt for your class.

Depending upon the students' ages and the time allowed in the curriculum, you may decide to do some or all of the activities. The questions for looking at each of the images begin with simple observations followed by more complicated ones.

Class discussion
In the present day what things, worn and held, identify national and world leaders? What symbols and adornment identify sports, film, and rock stars?

Begin discussion about each work of art by asking the students to describe what they see.

Statue of Hatshepsut: Mention the size of the figure and the material. Ask the class how they know it is a royal statue (formal pose and throne). What royal symbols can they see in the work of art?

Fragment of the head of a queen: What indicates that this is the head of a royal person? Why must it be the head of a queen rather than a king? Why is it assumed that the rest of the statue was made of other materials?

Akhenaten sacrificing a duck: What is distinctive about this portrayal of a king? What is distinctive about the action? the style? the carving? How many hands are there in this scene? Why was it important that the king should make frequent sacrifices to the gods?

West wall from a chapel built by Sety I for his father, Ramesses I: Notice the figures' poses, gestures, and costumes. Which are kings? Which are gods? What do the poses of the kings indicate? Who are the gods (Isis, Horus)? Why would the kings make offerings to these two particular deities?

Tutahkhamun wearing the blue crown: What identifies the head in this fragment as that of a king? Describe the size of the head and what the complete sculpture portrayed. How can we guess what the original looked like? What could the hand of Amun-Re resting on the king's head signify?

In your discussion of fragment of a battle scene mention the colors and what the complete scene would have been. How did the artist show the confusion of battle? Is there another level of meaning in scenes of the king defeating his foes?

Sphinx of Senwosret III: Ask what it is made of and what the meaning of this human and animal combination is. This will initiate a discussion about animal symbolism. Why a lion? What royal symbol is missing from the king's headdress? Why a cobra's head reared as if to attack?

Pectoral of Princess Sithathoryunet: Ask for descriptions of the materials. Describe what a pectoral is and the size of this one. What do the two falcons symbolize? Why is the falcon an appropriate symbol for the sun god? What other parts of the design symbolize royalty? Talk about how the design is both art and writing.

Related Activities
Ask the students to draw a picture or write about the kind of headdress they would wear if they were king or queen. What symbols of protection and power would they include? The headdresses could be three-dimensional designs as well.