Ti Hippopotamus Hunt Essay

Ti watching a hippopotamus hunt was discovered in the tomb of a Fifth Dynasty official under the name of Ti. The piece roughly dates back to 2540-2350 BCE, during the Old Kingdom of Egypt; such date can be inferred due to the composition of the work, as works of the deceased in a narrative or singular picture were often created as relief sculpture in tombs during the Old Kingdom period. The painted relief sculpture was carved into limestone and found on the mastaba- rectangular brick or stone structure with sloping sides built over a tomb- at Ti’s tomb in Saqqara, Egypt. The work depicts Ti and his men on what could be inferred as the Nile River, as they hunt for hippopotami and birds. The artist carved waving lines stained with a blue hue to successfully indicate water, filled with hippopotami and fish. For the Egyptians, performing activities such as farming or hunting were considered to be symbolic, as success in a hunt would ensure triumph over sinister forces in the afterlife. The

The final resting place for such individual would be adorned with lavish paintings and sculpture dedicated to them. All parts of the piece appear consistent to the works of the time, especially the way that Ti is posed in the typical Egyptian fashion of showing frontal and profile view. Practices such as hunting, farming, and dining were considered good nourishment for one’s ka, so one may have a healthy afterlife and make it through the process of judgement of their ka without fail. Perhaps depicting such work on Ti’s mastaba was to show proof of his work towards achieving a wholesome life force, and that he had lived a productive, well-respected life. Knowing how important ka is to the Egyptian people, it would be understandable that they would want to represent it in a positive light, doing so on their tomb to ward away