Decoration on the pylon of Ptolemy XII of the Horus temple, Idfū, Egypt
Object Details
- Local Numbers
- Negative number 72658 AC-11, 9A.
- General
- Title source: Index card based on photographer's notes.
- Local Note
- Typed index card reads, "T 6 Egy. Egypt. Edfu. Carved figure of Ptolemy Auletes' on the Temple of Horus. Ptolemaic Period. 3/1965. EE. neg.no. 72658 AC-11, 9A." The card was written in 1977-79 by Archives staff using source provided by photographer.
- Photographer
- Elisofon, Eliot
- Collection Photographer
- Elisofon, Eliot
- Place
- Africa
- Egypt
- Topic
- Monuments
- Architecture -- Egypt
- Cultural landscapes
- Works of art in situ
- Inscriptions
- Photographer
- Elisofon, Eliot
- See more items in
- Eliot Elisofon Field collection
- Eliot Elisofon Field collection / Egypt
- Extent
- 1 Negatives (photographic) (b&w, 35mm.)
- Date
- 1965
- Archival Repository
- Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art
- Identifier
- EEPA.1973-001, Item EEPA EENG 06299
- Type
- Archival materials
- Negatives (photographic)
- Black-and-white negatives
- Negatives
- Collection Citation
- Eliot Elisofon Field Collection, EEPA 1973-001, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution
- Collection Rights
- Permission to reproduce images from the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives must be obtained in advance. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
- Genre/Form
- Black-and-white negatives
- Negatives
- Scope and Contents
- "The site of ancient Djeba (Arabic Edfu) was the traditional location of the mythological battle between the gods Horus and Seth; and its sandstone Ptolemaic temple, dedicated to Horus, is the most complete and best preserved of all the temples in Egypt. It was evidently begun by Ptolemy III in 237 BC and completed 180 years later in 57 BC. The hypostyle hall was completed in 122 BC; and the outermost elements -the peristyle court and the entrance pylons- were finally added in 57BC, in the reign of Ptolemy XII. Unusually, the twin towers of the great entrance pylon of the temple were planned as perfect mirror images of each other, both in their construction and in the rather curiously rendered scenes carved on their surfaces. Temple decoration was carved in both raised (bas) and sunk (en creux) relief. The more time-consuming raised relief was often reserved for inner surfaces, while incised carving was often used on outer surfaces where shadows helped define its forms in bright sunlight." [Wilkinson R., 2000: The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt. Thames and Hudson]. The photograph depicts in a relief scene, Ptolemy VIII holding captives by the hair. The military exploits of Egyptian kings were often depicted, for symbolic, protective purposes. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for American Institute of Architects, directing the Egyptian portion of the documentary on Ancient Egypt, March 1965 and September 1965.
- Collection Restrictions
- Use of original records requires an appointment. Contact Archives staff for more details.
- Record ID
- ebl-1536870822481-1536871014214-3
- Metadata Usage
- CC0
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