Manshiyat Ezzat Palette
Encyclopedia
The Manshiyat Ezzat Palette is an ornately adorned schist
cosmetic palette
from predynastic Egypt
found at a cemetery in the eastern Delta town of Manshiyat Ezzat
, Dakahlia Governorate
. The gravesite is from Pharaoh Den
's reign, 1st Dynasty. The palette is of low to moderate bas relief. (see diagram and photo: http://xoomer.virgilio.it/francescoraf/hesyra/palettes/manshiyet.htm graphic: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2000/468/tr4.htm)
The ornamental palette contains the cosmetic eyepaint mixing circle, with the circle made up of the necks of two confronted
lions; the lions are identical to the serpopard
-lion motif as found on the Narmer Palette
and is conjectured to refer to the uniting of Delta Egypt
with Southern Egypt
.
II period-(Amratian
).The palette face contains a gazelle
bordering the upper left edge; a palm tree borders the upper right. Animals adorn the bottom center and left, with the gazelle being chased.
The shield-shaped palette is asymmetric since the gazelle on the upper left adorns the palette's top-center with its extended neck; the gazelle's upper neck and head are missing, with the height of the palette about 23.5 cm (9 in), and with the head complete, maybe 27 to 30 cm. The palette is 12 cm (5 in) wide.
motif, the Narmer Palette
and the Oxford Palette-(the Minor Hierakonpolis Palette), and they are conjectured to refer to initial uniting of Upper
and Lower Egypt
. Further artifacts from Pharaoh Den
's reign may elucidate this timeperiod of the 1st Dynasty.
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
cosmetic palette
Cosmetic palette
The cosmetic palettes of middle to late predynastic Egypt are archaeological artifacts, originally used to grind and apply ingredients for facial or body cosmetics. The decorative palettes of the late 4th millennium BCE appear to have lost this function and became commemorative, ornamental, and...
from predynastic Egypt
Predynastic Egypt
The Prehistory of Egypt spans the period of earliest human settlement to the beginning of the Early Dynastic Period of Egypt in ca. 3100 BC, starting with King Menes/Narmer....
found at a cemetery in the eastern Delta town of Manshiyat Ezzat
Manshiyat Ezzat
The townsite of Manshiyat Ezzat is located in the eastern portion of Dakahlia Governorate, in the Delta region of Egypt.In the time of the Old Kingdom, 1st Dynasty, it was a town where cemetery plots of Pharaoh Den's reign, resulted in one of the ceremonial cosmetic palettes of predynastic Egypt...
, Dakahlia Governorate
Dakahlia Governorate
Dakahlia Governorate is an Egyptian governorate lying north east of Cairo. Its area is about 3,500 km² and it has a population of about 5 million. The capital is Mansoura.-Overview:...
. The gravesite is from Pharaoh Den
Den (Pharaoh)
Den, also known as Hor-Den, Dewen and Udimu, is the Horus name of an early Egyptian king who ruled during the 1st dynasty. He is the best archaeologically attested ruler of this period. Den is said to have brought prosperity to his realm and numerous innovations are attributed to his reign...
's reign, 1st Dynasty. The palette is of low to moderate bas relief. (see diagram and photo: http://xoomer.virgilio.it/francescoraf/hesyra/palettes/manshiyet.htm graphic: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2000/468/tr4.htm)
The ornamental palette contains the cosmetic eyepaint mixing circle, with the circle made up of the necks of two confronted
Confronted-animals
Confronted animals, or confronted-animal as an adjective, where two animals face each other in a symmetrical pose, is an ancient bilateral motif in art and artifacts studied in archaeology and art history. The Anti-Confronted animals is the opposing motif...
lions; the lions are identical to the serpopard
Serpopard
The serpopard is a term applied by some modern researchers to what is described as a mythical animal known from Ancient Egyptian depictions. This term is not used in any original texts, and is an interpretation made only recently. The image is featured specifically on decorated cosmetic palettes...
-lion motif as found on the Narmer Palette
Narmer Palette
The Narmer Palette, also known as the Great ierakonpolis Palette or the Palette of Narmer, is a significant Egyptian archeological find, dating from about the 31st century BC, containing some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. It is thought by some to depict the unification of...
and is conjectured to refer to the uniting of Delta Egypt
Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
with Southern Egypt
Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
.
Description
The Manshiyat Ezzat Palette is a shield-shaped palette as found in the NaqadaNaqada
Naqada is a town on the west bank of the Nile in the Egyptian governorate of Qena. It was known in Ancient Egypt as Nubt and in classical antiquity as Ombos. Its name derives from ancient Egyptian nub, meaning gold, on account of the proximity of gold mines in the Eastern Desert.Naqada comprises...
II period-(Amratian
Amratian
Amratian, or Naqada I, is an era during Predynastic Egypt that lasted from c.4000-3500 BCE.See:*Amratian culture*Naqada*Predynastic Egypt...
).The palette face contains a gazelle
Gazelle
A gazelle is any of many antelope species in the genus Gazella, or formerly considered to belong to it. Six species are included in two genera, Eudorcas and Nanger, which were formerly considered subgenera...
bordering the upper left edge; a palm tree borders the upper right. Animals adorn the bottom center and left, with the gazelle being chased.
The shield-shaped palette is asymmetric since the gazelle on the upper left adorns the palette's top-center with its extended neck; the gazelle's upper neck and head are missing, with the height of the palette about 23.5 cm (9 in), and with the head complete, maybe 27 to 30 cm. The palette is 12 cm (5 in) wide.
Mixing circle, serpopard motif
The center 1/3 of the ceremonial cosmetic palette consists of the motif of the eyepaint mixing circle, and the circle is made-up of the two necks of confronted lions. Two other palettes have this serpopardSerpopard
The serpopard is a term applied by some modern researchers to what is described as a mythical animal known from Ancient Egyptian depictions. This term is not used in any original texts, and is an interpretation made only recently. The image is featured specifically on decorated cosmetic palettes...
motif, the Narmer Palette
Narmer Palette
The Narmer Palette, also known as the Great ierakonpolis Palette or the Palette of Narmer, is a significant Egyptian archeological find, dating from about the 31st century BC, containing some of the earliest hieroglyphic inscriptions ever found. It is thought by some to depict the unification of...
and the Oxford Palette-(the Minor Hierakonpolis Palette), and they are conjectured to refer to initial uniting of Upper
Upper Egypt
Upper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
and Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
. Further artifacts from Pharaoh Den
Den (Pharaoh)
Den, also known as Hor-Den, Dewen and Udimu, is the Horus name of an early Egyptian king who ruled during the 1st dynasty. He is the best archaeologically attested ruler of this period. Den is said to have brought prosperity to his realm and numerous innovations are attributed to his reign...
's reign may elucidate this timeperiod of the 1st Dynasty.