Examples Of Illusionism In Egyptian Architecture By Alexander Badawy

In the article, “Illusionism in the Egyptian Architecture” by Alexander Badawy, the author clearly described and explained the range of illusionistic effects, from reproduction of certain element to conceptual illusions presented in different Ancient Egyptian architectures. For each of the illusionistic effects, the author provided one or more examples, and postulated the possible reasons and results in the application of that particular effect. The author noted that Ancient architecture, like all Egyptian art is functional in nature, and the incorporation of illusion is to achieve a particular function. To be noted that this article is likely based from the earlier works of Professor John A. Wilson, which is also the person that the author

The light-weighted archaic theriomorphic shrine was constructed using reeds and wickerwoods that was meant to represent a crouching jackal, which is also Anubis’s sacred animal. The artistic sketch of the shrine the author provided depicts a better understanding of the overall structure and representation of this shrine. However, he also suggested in addition to the representation of Anubis, the possibility of the shrine being just an animal where certain rituals taken place in. Similar in reproduction a certain object, the mortunary temple of Pharaoh Neterikhet Djeser at Saqqara has structural elements that tried to imitate reeds and woods by using limestone. By describing the different imitations in different structural components, such as the door resembles ajar, the author provided a vivid overview of the natural environment that the mortunary temple tried to reproduce. Because of its mesmerizing illusion, the concept of “illusionistic copying of plant elements” (Reference) was inherited, with better stylistic illustration, after the 5th dynasty in constructing different temples and funerary

In support of this representation, the author touched on the small chapel of Re-Horakhty, which is located near a larger temple at Abu Simbel. In this chapel, the sun disk, representing the sun was also in between the two pylon towers during sunrise. Likewise, the temples and chapels in Amarna also have this illusionistic effect, but were not mentioned and explained specifically by the author. On the other hand, the author did explain the construction procedures, where a copper sheathing and a gold covering were applied to achieve this illusionistic representation. These methods were also incorporated at the top of the pyramids and obelisks, which are tall, four-sided monument that ends in a pyramid-like shape. In this part, the author delivered multiple examples such as the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and building inscriptions that in his option could demonstrate the notion of “[pyramids and obelisks being the] illusionistic counterparts of the sun in the sky” (reference). Similarly, another example of this illusionistic complements is the mortuary complex of Mentuhotep Nebhepetre at Deir el-Bahari, where the nearby pyramid would act as an illusionistic reciprocity of the rising of El-Qurn, which is located within the west bank of the Nile, and the peak of El-Qurn was thought and honoured as a