GLOVE IN ANCIENT EGYPT

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17027, 28 April 1923, Page 3

GLOVE IN ANCIENT EGYPT

A PRESENTATION TO AY. The glove found in the tomb of Tutankhamen has probably surprised most people, even those with some knowledge of ancient Egypt, more than anything as yet discovered there, writes a correspondent of the “ Manchester Guardian.” Gloves, however, are represented on the wall of one of the rock-cut tombs at El Armenia. TutankhaiHen‘B capital in the early days of his reign. This representation was, until the actual object came to light, the only evidence for their use in Egypt at this early date. The whole of the scene in which they occur is worthy of note. . Tt is found in the unfinished tomb of Ay, Master of the Horse of King Akhenaten and fqgter-fnther of Queen Nefertiti. his wife, being Her foster-mother. Ay and his wife, for meritorious service were formally presented by King Akhenaten with a multitude of gifts. The scene is partly carved and partly merely sketched in black and red outline ready for the chiselling which never took place. The king leans over a balcony, handing to Ay, who stands below. a gold collarette, so ample as to cover a groat portion of the chest, in the manner shown on most mummy cases. Six vorv similar necklaces, evidently jiist received, decorate Ay’s neck, while his wife, who stands beside him. is wearing three. Beside Akhenaten. is his queen, the lovely Nefertiti (whose name, by the by. means ** a beautiful woman comes and three daughters. Above the roval party is the sun disc, with streaming rays, typifying Akhenaten’ s god. •• The living Aten, the giver of life.” All these rays end in hands, as in the sketch of the King and Queen in their chariot published in the “ Manchester Guardian ” on February 8. As,in that sketch, some of the hands present the looped cross, the Egyptian sign for life, to the nostrils of the royal couple. Three hands embrace the king’s body, and one clasps ihe crown of the queen, expressing the loving care of the Aten for all creation and especially for his “ beautiful child,” th e King Nefertiti wears a crown. With one band she hold® two necklaces ready to present, while with the other she supports her third daughter, at that tin» e the baby of the family—little Ankhs-en-pa-aten. -who grew up to be the wife of Tutankhamen. The baby stands on thn cushioned edge of the balcony, stroking her mother under the chit,, and further supported by the, hand of her Slater. Maketaton. under her elbow. The eldest daughter. Merytaten. holds a tray ot valuables. from which she and Maketaton oast, down articles with great gusto. Two gold cups. a rase and a rmg are shown falling to the ground The ring is drawn absurdly large, the object of the artist being to tell the. facts, not to make a. lifelike picture, and the. ring, though small being probably of great importance (.Joseph received from the Pharaoh a signet ring and a gold chain. Genesis l A u 'scattered on the ground bcloe the balcony lie a number of articles, and amongst these are the gloves. Then appear 1© be what w© now call l< b-icr glove*.” Perhaps in our days gloves are the most popular of presents so it is fitting that the first record of them should be as a gift. Soldiers and conrtiers stand round about, while ~rot©sque mimes or jesters contribute to the festivity by their quaint, gambols, amt four senbea scribble busily.

. AY PT-TS ox his gloves Farther along the wall of the tomb Av is shown greeted by his friends as he issues from the palace gate. •he noise of their rejoicings reache,s distant, bystanders, one of whom holds nut a stool and bag to a boy. saying: ■ Tali« care of these while l go se<? what they bar* done for Ay." The boy replies: “ Don’t be long, or I'll he off and keep them, master!” Ay nas now donned the gloves, and proudly holds out his hands to display them to the wonder and delight of his i(lends. Possibly gloves were a foreign importation ; they were known in Crete m Minoan days, and max have been used in Syria, the land of horses for driving. They would ,n that case be a particularly suitable present .or Ay Master of the Horse. Thus suggests Mr de Gans Davies, the artist who has copied and described these tomb scenes with the greatest detail and care during five years of werk for the Egypt hixpioration Society. lu *hot can now bt used to great advalithe magnificent publication known as •• Lepsius Denkma.Jer.” though the •drawings ;«re published on a far larger scale than the Egypt Exploration Society could afford ffor heps ins was subsidised by King Frederick William TV. “ f Prussia), the kindly human touch of the putting on and displaying of the gloves is not noticed, and Ay appears to be holding out bare hands. Mr Davis remarks that there is no ■ loubt as to the gloves being worn. They Ht«- painted deep red, unjifee the :irt " but matching the bracelets. AK H EX A TEN’S CH ILDREX. I* rom these rock tombs. found throughout Upper Egypt, one can realise tiie daily life of nobles and commons. Here at El Amurna the life of the royal family is most prominent. Again and again they appear- rewarding their nobles, worshipping the Aten, driving through the city or enjoying their domestic life. As one studies the plates of Lopsius or Da vies one becomes more and more fond of the family. One sees it gradually increase from the one little daughter shown in the chariot scene reproduced on February 3 to six. which would have been seven had not t.hr. second daughter. Maketatou, died at about the age of 10. She was buried in the* tomb prepared for her father (ns usual, during his lifetime), and on ics walls her funeral is carved five little sisters standing mourning and the queen holding in her arms her new-born seventh baby girl. V hat became of the remaining six ? One. probably the fourth, was married at the age of five, to the son of the King of Babylon, but when last we hear of her, some years later, she was still at her father's Court, a letter being extant in which the King of Babylon sends presents to “ the wife of my son."’ On the death of Akhenaten, the husbands of Mery to ten and Akbs-en-pa-aten successively held the throne, but Tutankhamen was obliged to yield tithe wishes of his people by abandoning the sole worship of the Aten and returning to the old capital Thebes, where lie restored the- temples of Amen and other gods damaged by Akhenaten. After his death Ay. the late Master of the Horse. succeeded to the throne. He built a new tomb in the wild ax'd lonely western Valley oi the Kings, at Thebes, and there, where only two other kings of Egypt made their rest-ing-plaoe?- after a few more years, he was buried.