Masking the Blow: The Scene of Representation in Late Prehistoric Egyptian Art (California Studies in the History of Art)

The meaning of late prehistoric Egyptian images has until now been tantalizingly mysterious, as little understood as the circumstances of their production. As a result, analyses of these images have been general and often incorrectly illustrated. Whitney Davis now provides a welcome remedy in this detailed reinterpretation of the images carved on ivory knife handles and schist cosmetic palettes. These images are among the most important documents of early Egyptian history and include the Narmer Palette, often considered the very inception of ancient Egyptian image making. Davis deciphers the intriguing pictorial narratives and complex metaphors of images that are concerned with "masking the blow" of the ruler. "Masking the blow" refers to the ways that the imagesfrom hunted animals to human antagonistsrepresent, elide, or suppress the depiction of a ruler's violent act of conquering an enemy. Examining late prehistoric Egyptian images in light of contemporary visual theory and illustrating his analyses with excellent reproductions, Davis goes beyond the usual concern for stylistic development and iconographic meanings that characterize prior studies. His work will greatly interest art historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, and students of the visual arts. The Meaning Of Late Prehistoric Egyptian Images Has Until Now Been Tantalizingly Mysterious And As Little Understood As The Circumstances Of Their Production. Analyses Of These Images, As A Result, Have Been Merely General And Often Incorrectly Illustrated. Whitney Davis's Masking The Blow: The Scene Of Representation In Late Prehistoric Egyptian Art Provides A Welcome Remedy In Its Detailed Reinterpretation Of Images Carved On Ivory Knife Handles And Schist Cosmetic Palettes, Including The Narmer Palette, Often Considered The Very Inception Of Ancient Egyptian Canonical Image Making In The Dynastic Pharaonic Tradition. Davis Deciphers The Intriguing Pictorial Narratives And Complex Metaphors Of Images That Are Concerned With Masking The Blow Of The Ruler. Masking The Blow Refers To The Many Ways In Which The Late Prehistoric Egyptian Images Represent, Elide, Or Suppress The Depiction Of A Ruler's Decisive Violent Act Of Conquering An Enemy, Whether A Hunted Animal Or A Human Antagonist; Although This Act Is The Central Theme Of Late Prehistoric Egyptian Representation - The Basic Concern Of Pictorial Narrative - It Is Partly Disguised Within Images Themselves. The Book Examines The Pictorial Mechanics Of This Masking And Interprets The Scene Of Representation, The Context Of Image Making, In Which It Transpires. Examining Late Prehistoric Egyptian Images In Light Of Contemporary Visual Theory And Illustrating His Analyses With Excellent Reproductions Of The Works Of Art, Davis Goes Beyond The Usual Concern Beyond The Usual Concern For Stylistic Development And Iconographic Meanings That Characterizes Prior Studies.--jacket. Ch. 1. History And The Scene Of Representation -- Ch. 2. Outside The Scene -- Ch. 3. Circling The Scene -- Ch. 4. Entering The Scene -- Ch. 5. Failing To See On Contested Ground -- Ch. 6. In The Morgue -- Ch. 7. Looking Back -- Ch. 8. About-face -- Ch. 9. In The Wild -- Appendix: Pictorial Narrative. Whitney Davis. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 282-296) And Index. "The meaning of late prehistoric Egyptian images has until now been tantalizingly mysterious and as little understood as the circumstances of their production. Analyses of these images, as a result, have been merely general and often incorrectly illustrated. Whitney Davis's Masking the Blow: The Scene of Representation in Late Prehistoric Egyptian Art provides a welcome remedy in its detailed reinterpretation of images carved on ivory knife handles and schist cosmetic palettes, including the Narmer Palette, often considered the very inception of ancient Egyptian canonical image making in the dynastic pharaonic tradition. Davis deciphers the intriguing pictorial narratives and complex metaphors of images that are concerned with "masking the blow" of the ruler. "Masking the blow" refers to the many ways in which the late prehistoric Egyptian images represent, elide, or suppress the depiction of a ruler's decisive violent act of conquering an enemy, whether a hunted animal or a human antagonist; although this act is the central theme of late prehistoric Egyptian representation - the basic concern of pictorial narrative - it is partly disguised within images themselves. The book examines the pictorial mechanics of this "masking" and interprets the "scene of representation," the context of image making, in which it transpires." "Examining late prehistoric Egyptian images in light of contemporary visual theory and illustrating his analyses with excellent reproductions of the works of art, Davis goes beyond the usual concern beyond the usual concern for stylistic development and iconographic meanings that characterizes prior studies."--BOOK JACKET In this book I interpret a group of late prehistoric Egyptian representations that deserve to be more widely known among art historians, archaeologists, and anthropologists. While writing it I have been thinking of artifacts and images from other cultures Upper Paleolithic engravings; rock art of the Tassili Mountains, Arnhem Land, or the Brandberg; "animal-style" art from Luristan to Scythia and beyond; the paintings of the Catacombs; late antique ivories; Celtic metalwork; the rock-cut signs of Bronze Age Scandinavia; Viking woodwork; Navaho sand painting; and modern urban graffiti. If art historians convert these artifacts into pure images, archaeologists convert the images into pure artifacts