INT231 - Week 2

                                                                       Ancient Civilizations

    The ancient world of the Middle East was defined by three civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Nubia. Whether through war or alliance, these civilizations were in constant contact. They all depended on rivers for their lifeblood. The Nile for Egypt and Nubia, the Tigris and Euphrates for Mesopotamia. Something I found particularly interesting about this era was Egyptian reliefs. They were sculptural programs that served sophisticated means of visual communication that played to public audiences, both local and foreign. The culture of the time was represented through a variety of scenes, including hunting, celebration, worship, processions of courtiers bearing tribute. We also catch glimpses of the architectural styles of the time through these reliefs.

Egyptian Reliefs

   I appreciate the design aspect of the reliefs, allowing us to see how they used to represent elements in a different way than we do typically in modern day. To capture the motions of water, they used sharp zig zags. It is also interesting that the people in the second photo are naked, because perhaps that was more normal at the time. Who knows?

Egyptian Beds

  Whenever I see an Egyptian bed with the little U-shaped attachment, I wonder what it could be used for and am again amazed at how past cultures did things and why. I also learned that the process of making curved seating/beds like the images depicted is a strenuous process and was a revolutionary form of luxury at the time. 

Application Today

This curved style can be seen applied in today's modern furniture, providing platforms that are less rigid. This can even help contour to the shape of our bodies, improving the resting position of our spines. Our methods of achieving these types of designs have improved immensely since the time of the Egyptians, but it is still a difficult style to build with geometrical intention.

One Step Further

Work of I. M. Pei

I. M. Pei, was a Chinese-American architect celebrated for integrating modernist geometry with historical and cultural sensitivity. Educated at MIT and Harvard under Bauhaus masters, he founded I. M. Pei & Associates in 1955. Over six decades, he designed landmarks such as the Louvre Pyramid in Paris, the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, and the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. Recipient of the 1983 Pritzker Prize, AIA Gold Medal, and Presidential Medal of Freedom, his work balanced innovation, context, and elegance.

In Conclusion:

   The time period of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Nubia's rule, there came a variety of advancements that can be seen in Egyptian reliefs and artifacts. We can see how the furniture of the time supported their unique lifestyle and how they compare and contrast to ours today. It also is fascinating how Egyptians considered air flow in ancient architecture, before the time of mechanical air conditioning. This sort of simplified engineering is inspiring, considering how advanced our technology is today.