Select one of the two works provided to explore the visual elements and culture as an art historian.

Remember to use your guiding questions. These questions will help you investigate a work of art,
but may not always be answered for every work of art.

I chose to do the assessment on the Palette of Narmer .

1. When was it made?

-The Palette of Narmer was discovered between 1897-1898. It was
discovered by James Quibell and Frederick Green.
2. Where was it made?
-It doesn't really say where it was made but it talks about how it being
decorated on both sides shows it was a ceremonial of some kind rather than an
actual cosmetic Palette intended for daily use.
3. What is the material?
-The Palette is 63-centimentre tall. It’s a shield-shaped, ceremonial palette.
It’s carved from a single piece of flat, soft dark gray-green siltstone.
4. Who made it?
-It doesn't say who exactly made it but many people believe The first king of
the first Dynasty of Egypt.
 5. Why was it made?
-The Palette of Narmer was most likely created to celebrate his military
victories over lower Egypt.
6. What theme categorizes this work?
-Well, Ceremonial Palettes usually represent the theme of taming wild animals,
and one of the traditional tasks of the king. The Palette of Narmer doesn't
really give off that kind of theme. The palette gives off two themes. The
scene at the bottom of the Palette front face continues the imagery of
conquest and victory while carved into the top scrolls on both sides of the
Palette of Narmer are cows with human faces. That sometimes is interpreted
as the goddesses Bat and Hathor.

Credible Resources
● https://www.ancient.eu/Narmer_Palette/#:~:text=The%20Narmer%20Pa
lette%20was%20discovered%20in%201897-1898%20CE,early%20capital2
0of%20the%20First%20Dynasty%20of%20Egypt.
● http://ancient-egypt.org/history/early-dynastic-period/1st-dynasty/hor
us-narmer/narmer-artefacts/narmer-palette.html.
● https://www.historians.org/teaching-and-learning/teaching-resources-fo
r-historians/teaching-and-learning-in-the-digital-age/images-of-power-
art-as-an-historiographic-tool/palette-of-king-narmer.
● https://www.thoughtco.com/narmer-palette-early-period-ancient-egypt-
171919.