Tomb Of Pairy Analysis

Egyptian culture didn’t truly begin until the third dynasty, which is grouped into a period called the Old Kingdom. Since then, it developed into a thriving culture that changed little, even with new leaders. This conveys a sense of order and cohesion that flows throughout the time of the Egyptians. I was fascinated by the continuity. Unlike the artists of today, Egyptian artists did not rebel against the conventions of their day. If the surviving art is any indication, they were content to follow the artistic practices of their time. During the New Kingdom, a painting called "Funeral Procession, Tomb of Pairy" was created. It is a depiction of a portion of the process of laying Pairy to rest. Harold Hays wrote an article called “Funerary

Rituals” that examines the funeral rituals of Egyptian culture.

Information from the textbook and Hays’s article help illuminate the events depicted and their significance in culture and art of the New Kingdom, and how the style ties into the art of the time.

Ancient Egyptian culture was largely focused on the afterlife. One of their most important deities, Osiris, became the ruler of the Underworld through death. The pharaoh and elite class prepared for their impending deaths throughout their lives. Much of what survives from ancient Egypt today was found in tombs and temples of the dead. When one of the elite died, the process of laying him or her to rest was extensive. Harold Hays explains that “the ritualized process of embalming and mummification is usually stated as lasting seventy days” (Hays 5). "Funeral Procession, Tomb of Pairy" shows two of the processes that Hays details. The first depicted is the procession to the tomb. Pairy’s body would have already been through several processions, mummification, and embalming. This particular procession’s goal is to lead not just the body, but also the spirit into the afterlife. People of both high and low classes attended this procession, carrying with them the tomb goods (Hays 6-7). The second depicted

event is the ‘opening of the mouth’ ceremony. The purpose of this ceremony is connected to the Egyptians’ religion. Osiris believed to be a judge. He weighed the guilt of the diseased and decided where their soul would go. The person’s soul needed to be able to argue their case, so to speak. This required the body to be re-animated so it could continue to the afterlife with the soul. In other words, “it gives him the ability to verbally defend himself at the judgment of the dead and attain vindication“(Hays 10). It is during this ritual, according to Hays, that the deceased’s ‘mouth symbolically opened by means of presenting adze-shaped instruments to the face’ (Hays 7). This is what is seen in the bottom half of the painting. When I originally looked at it, I thought something was being added to the body. But the image depicted is probably the ka statue as the body has already been mummified. These parts of the funeral procession continue to impress the importance of life after death to the Egyptians.
Much of the art in ancient Egypt was consistent in style. There was a handful of poses that were used throughout most of the dynasties with little variance. In this painting, "Funeral Procession, Tomb of Pairy", the general conventions of Egyptian art of the New Kingdom is followed. All of the figures depicted have one foot forward. All of the peasants, or possibly slaves, hold the same poses with little variant. All people shown are seen from the side in the common manner of Egyptian art. It shows the profile and the front simultaneously. There is a limited illusion of space in the painting. The artist is giving information, telling a story.
Paintings can show much about a culture. "Funeral Procession, Tomb of Pairy" shows many things about the art and culture of the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt. Their obsession with death and the afterlife, the uniformity or style, and the rituals themselves are all depicted in this one painting. That is where the meaning of this painting is found, in the life of the people who it reflects.