Caricature: A Pure Egyptian Industry

Asharq Alawsat (Zahi Hawass)

Ancient Egyptian antiquities have preserved images and illustrations for us that reflect the humour of the ancient Egyptians and their tendency of caricaturing their circumstances, whether they represent their political, economic, or social circumstances. Ancient Egyptian artists utilized the walls of tombs to carve silent caricatures and convey highly expressive scenes to the viewer. Examples of this can be seen in the image of an extremely skinny shepherd whose ribs can be seen under his skin herding a group of fat cows, or an image of a guard sleeping outside of the warehouse that he is supposed to be protecting. There is also the image of a monkey attacking a young boy who stole fruit from the market.

In addition to these images and scenes etched on to the walls of tombs, the laborers and artists also carved images and exchanged drawings and caricatures.