AP Art History : Understanding terminology that describes Near Eastern 2D art
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Art History
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Near Eastern 2 D Art
The figure with a jackal's head represented twice on the left hand portion of the work shown is ____________________.
Ra
Anubis
Isis
Osiris
Anubis
The figure of Anubis, the Egyptian God of the afterlife and mummification, was represented in Egyptian art as having the head of a jackal. His role was to help lead the newly deceased through the underworld, particularly to the ceremony of the weighing of the heart to judge whether the individual was morally upright enough to pass through the afterlife. This role makes him crucial to appear in a work such as The Book of the Dead, as he served a crucial role in the funerary rites.
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Example Question #2 : Near Eastern 2 D Art
What is this piece called?
Cuneiform
Sarcophagus
Lamassu
Ground plan
Register
Lamassu
This is called a lamassu. Lamassus were massive winged bulls with human heads. They were often depicted in Assyrian art and myth. (Cuneiform was ancient writing, a sarcophagus is a type of coffin, a register is a horizontal band that tells a narrative story, and a ground plan is a map of where things are on the floor of a building.)
Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human_headed_winged_bull_profile.jpg
Example Question #3 : Near Eastern 2 D Art
This lamassu is a good example of what type of artistic technique?
Relief sculpture
Apadana
Cella
Cong
Votive
Relief sculpture
The lamassu is a good example of a relief sculpture. This is a sculpture that projects out of a flat background. In this case, the figure projects out of the slab of alabaster. Relief sculptures give the illusion of a three-dimensional image. (A votive is an offering given in exchange for a vow or promise, apadanas and cellas are architectural features found in ancient Middle Eastern palaces and temples respectively, and congs are ancient Chinese tube-shaped objects with circular holes cut into square-like cross sections.)
Image is in the public domain, accessed through Wikipedia Media Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human_headed_winged_bull_profile.jpg
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