What does this finger-to-mouth gesture symbolise in ancient Egyptian art?Clue: it did not suggest si
What does this finger-to-mouth gesture symbolise in ancient Egyptian art?Clue: it did not suggest silence, as it often does today. Depicted in the shown sculpture dated to ca. 2455-2350 BC is a young Egyptian boy named Ankhmara. He is shown alongside his father Nykara and mother Khuennub (see the full sculpture here) in a ‘family portrait’ of sorts.He is not depicted particularly small -so how can we be sure that Ankhmara is a young child? There are several key diagnostic features, common throughout Egyptian depictions of children, that indicate this. Firstly, he is completely naked. Second, he retains the ‘side-lock of youth’: a plaited lock of hair on the right side of his head. Only after puberty did male Egyptians acquire a short, neat haircut. Finally, he holds his right index figure to his mouth. A distinct symbol of childhood in Egyptian art, it is thought to derive from the childish habit of finger sucking. Shown artefact courtesy of & can be viewed at the Brooklyn Museum. Via their online collections: 49.215. -- source link
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