ABSTRACT
The ancient Egyptians had no term corresponding to the modern Western abstractnotion of ‘art’, although there were words for different items, such as statues, stelae, coffins and so on, which we today regard as belonging to the category of ancient Egyptian art. It is convenient, however, for modern scholars to use the term ‘art’ to describe the visual as opposed to purely textual material that has come down to us from ancient Egypt (Baines 1994). Like all art, ancient Egyptian art derived its original meaning from its cultural context. It was deeply embedded in the Egyptian world-view, which both shaped the range of subject matter and the images shown, and was at the same time expressed by these images. Thus, although, as modern viewers, we can appreciate Egyptian art for perceived aesthetic qualities and supply our own meanings and criticism, if we wish to understand what it meant to the original patrons, artists and viewers, then it is necessary to try to comprehend the cultural context that gave rise to it and within which it functioned (Robins 1997; Hartwig 2001).
