Chapter 9 / Trajan's Column

Rome / 113 AD

Trajan's column, standing nearly 100 feet tall(125 feet, including it's large pedestal), can be found in Rome. It is a triumphal column that commemorates emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian wars. Trajan was the emperor of Rome from 97-117 AD, and is remembered as a great emperor for his military expansion which led to maximum Roan territory expansion. The column was built around 113 AD and stands in Trajan's Forum, just north of the Roman forum. A frieze spirals (similar to a ribbon) up the length of the column, starting around 1 meter high at the base and reaching about 1.2 meters near the top, allowing for the viewer to see the carvings at the top. This method is similar to how columns taper near the top to create the illusion of continuity.

The column consists of marble drums cut horizontally and placed on top on one another. Supporting the column is a podium that is decorated with carvings of the spoils of the war. Trajan's ashes are placed in a repository at the base of the column. The scenes are carved in high relief into the column.

Starting at the base of the column, the first four bands of the ribbon depict Trajan's Roman army preparing for their campaign. A giant, bearded river god, personifying the Danube, watches as Trajan leads the Roman army out of the walled city. Moving up the column, the second level depicts army camp and the capture of a spy. Throughout the entire column, background figures are raised above foreground figures, basically eliminating blank space on the column. By showing this crowded nature, the column really shows the bustling energy of Rome during the first century, especially cities preparing for war, as was happening at the construction of the column. Each figure is carved with great detail.

Chapter 5 / Ajax and Achilles Playing a Game

Greece / c. 530-520 B.C.

In ancient Greece, vases and jars like this one were a very popular art form. This type is called an amphora, or two-handled jar. It was painted by the Andokides painter as well as the Lysippides painter around 525 B.C. The amphora stands nearly 22 inches high and is about 13.5 inches in diameter. The jar is ceramic, and the techniques used are black figure as well as red figure. As you can see, one technique is used on one side while the other is used on it's opposite. Some sources speculate that it was Andokides himself around 530 B.C. who created the style of red figure.

The juxtaposition between red figure and black figure make this jar a very dynamic work of art. In my opinion, since red figure was invented after black figure, the jar almost serves as a connection piece for between two points of Greek history. On both the black figure side as well as the red figure side, Ajax and Achilles are depicted playing a game (possibly dice). Both of these people were considered heroes in Greek mythology, and are depicted wearing helmets on the red figure side and each holding two spears. Their helmets are hung behind them on the black figure side. They are each wearing the traditional tunic and armor for battle. Their shields rest behind them.

The handles of the vase are decorated in an intricate pattern of triangles. Framing the scene is another intricate pattern that seems almost floral. The detail in their tunics is an aspect of this amphora that makes their painters unmatched by any others. Although the orange tint of the material and the black shine are the two dominant colors, details of white and red can also be seen on the jar in the tunics, the base of the jar, and the chairs on the red figure side.

Chapter 5 / King Tut's Mask

Egypt / c. 1327 B.C.

King Tutankhamen ruled in the 18th dynasty in Egypt and died around the year 1327 B.C. In 1922 his tomb was rediscovered, along with his elaborate burial mask, pictured above. The mask was laid directly on the face of King Tut. The entire mask is made completely of gold with inlaid semi precious stones, colored glass paste, and obsidian and quartz for the eyes. The mask weighs 24 pounds and is 21 inches in height and 15 inches wide. The mask was placed inside the third coffin and in the sarcophagus. It is currently one of the most well known artifacts worldwide. Although it is centuries old, the colors are still vibrant and impressive looking. The face of the mask was made to look like the dead boy-king so that when his spirit returned it would be able to recognize him.

The mask wears a typical stripped nemes headdress, one that would have been worn in life by King Tut. The top includes a cobra and a vulture, who are emblems of deities. The eye makeup resembles similar makeup that the king would have worn in his life. The mask also features a fake beard, similar to the one he would have worn. The collar of the mask is made with feldspar, quartz, lapis lazuli and colored glass. The back of the mask has elaborate spell inscriptions. They were inscribed using a method called chasing, and there are ten vertical and two horizontal lines of protective spells from The Book of the Dead.

Just looking at images of the mask evoke awe. It is fascinating that an ancient mask can still be beautiful and shining to this day. The colors are brilliant and still very vivid. It is amazing that something so old can still be so amazing and powerful.

Chapter 3 / Chinese Horse

"Chinese Horse"

Lascaux, Dordogne, France / c. 15,000 B.C.-13,000 B.C.

The Chinese Horse, discovered in the Lascaux cave in Southwestern France, is painted on limestone rock and is 5 ft. 6 in. long. Although the animal was painted nearly 17,000 years ago, the colors remain vibrant and stand out well against their pale limestone background. The horse is painted orange with a deep black outline, effectively juxtaposing light and dark. The head and legs of the horse are much smaller in ratio than the body, creating an almost cartoon look, without being too silly and while remaining recognizable as a horse. Although only two colors (black and orange) seemed to have been used, and although minimal details were added to the painting, the artist still effectively gets across the image of a horse to viewers thousands of years later.

The artist who painted the horse worked by firelight. As we saw in the movie 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams', the use of firelight shows movement in the images on the cave walls as the fire moves and plays with shadows across the paintings. The artist applied the pigment directly to the cave walls, and in some cases, used a hollow reed to blow the pigment onto the cave walls to show different effects.

Along with the actual horse, there are two feather-looking objects that were painted over and near it. These are slightly darker in color compared to the horse's coat, and resemble bushes, or simply abstractions. Because they are not outlines like the horse, they could be symbols. By layering the pigments in this fashion, the painting almost takes on a 3-D effect since it creates a foreground and a background. Even the horse's two left legs are clearly shown as being behind the body, adding more to the movement of the painting rather than just being painted on the same plane as all other parts of the body.