AHIST1401 UNIT1 Written Assignment: "Statue of Memi and Sabu" and "Seated Statue of Gudea"

 

In an essay compare and contrast the sculptures below, considering the effect the intended purpose or function has on the appearance of the sculptures.

Statue of Memi and Sabu: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/48.111
Seated Statue of Gudea: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/59.2

Your essay should be a minimum of 400 words.

Essays should be well-written and organized and contain an introduction and conclusion. Please proofread your work for spelling, syntax and grammatical errors. All sources used must be properly cited in a works cited list.

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 The sculptures of the medieval age were essentially created to depict the spiritual, abstract, and religious sentiments or beliefs of the people. Those tell viewers about their communities and cultures, and we can understand the purpose and function of those from the line, shape, and texture (Rochelle, 2013). This essay compares and contrasts the sculptures of the Statue of Memi and Sabu and the Seated Statue of Gudea, considering the effect the intended purpose or function has on the appearance of the sculptures.

 

 

Statue of Memi and Sabu

The Statue of Memi and Sabu was made of Limestone; its dimensions are h. 62 cm (24.7/16 in); w. 24.5 cm (9 5/8 in); d. 15.2 cm (6 in), and found in Giza, Egypt (1THE MET., n.d.). It was painted in 2575–2465 B.C., and we can know represents a non-royal couple who was a royal acquaintance from their dresses and pose (1THE MET., n.d.). We can understand they are husband and wife because Memi, the husband gives Sabu the wife a warm embrace, but at the same time, Sabu(wife) is set somewhat apart by her oblique gaze, so it might they had problems between the couple (1THE MET., n.d.).

 

This statue was buried with non-royal dead in a hidden chamber, which means Memi and Sabu can get benefits from the food and gifts even after their death (Rochelle, 2013).

Therefore, we can conclude that the Statue of Memi and Sabu shows Egyptians' religious sentiments or beliefs about the spirits of the dead.

 

 

Seated Statue of Gudea

 

The Seated Statue of Gudea was made of Diorite; its dimensions are 17 3/8 x 8 1/2 x 11 5/8 in. (44 x 21.5 x 29.5 cm), and found in Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq (2THE MET., n.d.).

 

Gudea is wearing royal garb, and his feet are not touching the ground, so we can know he was a man of great power and respect (Rochelle, 2013).  Also, Gudea's hands are folded in a traditional gesture of greeting and prayer; therefore, it means his devotion and piety (2THE MET., n.d.).

Gudea was a royal who devoted his energies to rebuilding the great temples of Lagash and installing statues of himself there, and the citizens considered him to be an intermediary between themselves and God; therefore, we can conclude that the statue of Gudea was made to symbolize the wish that their ruler may live long and to place the statues in the temples Gudea built (Rochelle, 2013).

 

CONCLUSION

The Statue of Memi and Sabu was made of Limestone, and they are a couple. On the other hand, the Seated Statue of Gudea was made of Diorite, and Gudea was a royal person. The Statue of Memi and Sabu means they can benefit from the food and gifts even after their death, but the Seated Statue of Gudea symbolized the wish that their ruler may live long and place the statues in the temples Gudea built. We can know their customs and culture through the line, shapes, and textures. Both statues have religious meanings, but there are differences between those, such as detailed purpose or social position. I realized we can make more discoveries by observing based on historical records more than just appreciating.

 

 

 

Thank you for reading, guys.                                          (535 words)

 

 

 

 

References

 

Rochelle. (2013). Comparison of statue memi and Sabu and the statue of gudea. Retrieved from https://rochjam.blogspot.com/2013/08/comparison-of-statue-memi-and-sabu-and.html

 

1. THE MET. (n.d.). The King's Acquaintances Memi and Sabu. etmuseum.org. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/543899

 

2. THE MET. (n.d.). Statue of Gudea, named “Gudea, the man who built the temple, may his life be long” Metmuseum.org. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/329072