Relief with Female Musicians
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
On View: 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor
This relief appears to show a standing female servant pouring a libation or perfume to the first of several squatting female musicians, one playing a tambourine and the others clapping out a beat. The main text, perhaps part of a hymn being sung, mentions a goddess as a "uraeus cobra of gold." On the basis of Its style, the relief can probably be attributed to a late Ramesside tomb at Saqqara.
MEDIUM
Limestone
DATES
ca. 1185–1070 B.C.E.
DYNASTY
Dynasty 20 (probably)
PERIOD
New Kingdom
DIMENSIONS
12 1/8 × 22 1/16 × 2 9/16 in. (30.8 × 56 × 6.5 cm)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
68.150.1
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Limestone slab with sunk relief representation of the upper parts of three female figures facing right. They are wearing plant ornaments on their heads; the first receives a liquid from a figure bending forward of which the nose and forehead with lotus flower and both arms only are visible. Second figure plays a tambourine; third figure seems to clap hands, and one hand of a fourth figure is visible at the left. Remains of hieroglyphics caption with each figure; the whole surmounted by one line of text.
Condition: Fragmentary; three corners missing; chipped in many places, but a few traces of faint color are preserved. Modernly cut at top.
CAPTION
Relief with Female Musicians, ca. 1185–1070 B.C.E. Limestone, 12 1/8 × 22 1/16 × 2 9/16 in. (30.8 × 56 × 6.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
, 68.150.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.68.150.1_wwg8.jpg)
IMAGE
installation, West Wing gallery 8 installation,
CUR.68.150.1_wwg8.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2009
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
RIGHTS STATEMENT
Creative Commons-BY
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we welcome any additional information you might have.
What was the most popular hit during Dynasty 20?
Perhaps "Stairway to the Afterlife." Whatever it was it features instruments like the drum in the center as well as a sistrum. Lots of percussion!
Thats amazing. Thank you!!
What art in ancient Egypt are pertained to music?
This first thing that comes to mind are depictions of musicians. Look for something called "Relief with Female Musicians" in the Later Egypt gallery.
There is another relief called "Musicians" in the Amarna Period gallery.
There are also fragmentary sistra (singular: sistrum) an ancient rattle-like instrument, in the Older Egypt gallery.
