The Hunters Palette

Palettes made of the grey-green stone called greywacke or siltstone)are distinctive creations of the Predynastic period. Their basic function was as a surface for grinding cosmetic minerals which were applied to the body on special occasions. By the end of this prehistoric period palettes evolved into ceremonial objects used in temples to dress the gods. In this special role, they were made larger than usual and decorated in raised relief. This decoration carried important messages to the gods (and others who might see them during processions) about how the world was being kept safe from dangerous forces that threatened the orderly world that the gods desired.

There are only about a dozen highly decorated palettes known, and this palette is the largest. In the center, the empty circle is where the cosmetic pigments were mixed for application; the raised edge prevented the mixture from spilling onto the decoration. Along the sides, two rows of hunters brandishing a variety of weapons (bows and arrows, throw sticks, maces, and lances) corral wild animals symbolizing dangerous elements that needed to be controlled. By the time this palette was carved hunting was no longer needed for food, but had become ritual activity. Wild animals were captured in order to be sacrificed at temples, like that represented by the hut-like shrine shown at the palette’s top. Their sacrifice during temple rituals kept the world in order. However, controlling this chaos was not an easy job and required bravery and skill. One hunter has fallen victim to the wounded lion at the top, but working as a team they will prevail, their group ethos symbolized by the tails of the African wild dog worn by each of them. Wild dogs are Africa’s most efficient hunters and by working in packs they are capable of bringing even large prey.

The composition on this palette is remarkable and the use of raised relief imbues it with a sense of action not present in earlier art of the Predynastic period. On it we can also see the some of the first manifestations of the way the Ancient Egyptians depicted the human body: head in profile, eye in frontal view, the shoulders frontal, legs and feet in profile. In essence the body was seen as a collection of parts, each one shown in its most recognizable view. This way of showing the human form would remain unchanged, with very few exceptions for the next 3000 years.