We explore some of the details of Karnak, such as the Seti II stela, Ramses II’s cartouche, and an Amenhotep III scarab.
As the first posts in this series (Part 1 and Part 2) focused on some rather large aspects of Karnak, I want to bring out some of the other details as well. In all honesty, I wish I had another 5-6 hours at the complex to delve deeper into some of these details.
The first one is a stela that is placed in the entrance walk on the left hand side. This might get little attention among all those ram-headed sphinxes…
Seti II Stela
This stela speaks of the offerings made by Seti II to Amun-Re. Part of what interests me in this are the various king names given on the stela as well as the offerings themselves. I will need to spend a bit of time working on the translation!
The second detail I want to draw attention to is a cartouche you’ll see in many places…
Ramses II Cartouche
Of course, Ramses II’s throne name cartouche is ubiquitous, but if you think this cartouche sounds anything like Ramses, you may be surprised. The cartouche is prefaced by sꜢ-rꜤ [sa-re] which translates to ‘Son of Ra’. In the cartouche we can transliterate to wsr-mꜢꜤt-rꜤ stp.n-rꜤ [usr-maat-ra stp.n-ra]. This translates to ‘The justice of Ra is powerful, chosen of Ra’. This is a great conversation starter during your next cocktail party!
Wandering around the site, there were lots of interesting items. Here’s one that seemed underrepresented…
Scarab of Amenhotep III
This mighty, and lucky Scarab sits atop an oval red granite plinth. It is likely that this was part of Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple on the western bank in Thebes. It was moved to a location near the Sacred Lake at Karnak at a later time (likely by Taharqo – 690-664 BCE). It’s not often that we run across a dung beetle of this size!
The last item that I would like to point out is that all the wonderful archaeologists and egyptologists must love solving puzzles! Here are some pieces found around the site…
Foot and Sandal
What caught my attention on this piece is the exquisite detail of the foot in the sandal. Also, it makes me wonder where the rest of this relief might be. Here’s another puzzle piece…
Puzzle Pieces
This piece appears to have sheared off a larger section. It again makes one wonder where the rest might be. Of course, a lot of the sites that we visited had to be reassembled over the years, as sand, creative re-use of material by many generations and natural forces didn’t preserve all these monuments in their original state.
Hats off to all the people who have worked over time to bring us these monuments and a view into antiquity. It truly helps us connect across the millennia!
A Fresh Perspective
Photography is more than just a vehicle for capturing the world around me; it provides me with a palette and a set of brushes, with which I paint not only what I see, but also look to express the emotions that are evoked by the scene in front of me in that moment.
Growing up in the Netherlands exposed me to a wide cross-section of visual arts that laid the foundation of my photographic view of all that surrounds me. Early influences were the Dutch Masters of the 17th century, to whom I was introduced by my grandfather during museum explorations; favorites among them are the scenes of quotidian life depicted by Jan Steen and Frans Hals and the vivid landscapes of Jacob van Ruisdael.
My classical high school education was supplemented by the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum, where I spent many a lunch hour exploring its great collection. Here I was introduced to surrealism with a particular love for the approach taken by Salvador Dali; Dali also rekindled my appreciation for the work of Hieronymus Bosch, who often showed the folly of us mortals.
Universal Connections
My approach to any photographic subject is to look for understanding first; in this I look to establish either a connection between the viewer and the subject or capture the connection of the subject with its surroundings. The captured image then aims to portray this connection from a perspective that is part of my personal interpretation.
This interpretation is often a form of externalized introspection, which may alternately display the connection of isolated beings and items with their environment or highlight the whimsy of the profound world, in which we find ourselves. The universe is full of connections, many of which are waiting to be discovered; part of my journey as a photographer is to document these connections.
Any assignment, be it an event, a product shoot or a portrait session is always approached through communication with the client; this is where the first connection is established. Ideas are exchanged and a collaborative plan of action forms, ultimately resulting in a set of images that aim to exceed the expectations of each client.
And, lest we forget, it is important to have fun while practicing the serious business of photography!
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