_Arts and Crafts._--Art developed in ancient Egypt under religious
patronage. The earliest use made of Nubian gold was in manufacturing
imitation luck-shells worn by the pre-dynastic peoples. Gold thus acquired
a religious significance; at an early period it was associated with the
sun-deity--the mother-goddess in her solar aspect was called 'Golden
Hathor'. The hieroglyph for gold (_nub_) is a collar of beads. Exquisite
gold ornaments in symbolic shapes were produced during the early dynasties.
No finer gold ornaments have ever been produced anywhere than those of the
twelfth dynasty (_c._ 2000 B.C.). These include chased gold pectoral
ornaments and coronets and crowns inlaid with stones. When copper was first
introduced it was used like gold. After implements were made of copper,
vases of alabaster, diorite, &c., were worked with increasing skill and
taste. The hardest stone was hewn and dressed for building purposes. No
people have ever shown greater skill than the Egyptians in their stonework.
The sculptors set themselves, when constructing temples, to imitate in
stone the lashed palm-sticks, reeds, and papyrus stems used in the earliest
shrines to stiffen the mud walls. Massive temple pillars were decorated
with lotus petals, rose petals, &c. The early artists, who carved ivory,
began to work in stone after copper implements were invented, and produced
low reliefs in temples and tomb-chapels. Statuary in limestone, wood, and
copper in the early dynastic period was vigorous and realistic. The
sculptors were using the hardest material by the time of the Pyramid Age
(_c._ 2700 B.C.). A great tomb-statue of Pharaoh-Khafra, in diorite,
preserved in the Cairo Museum, is one of the triumphs of Egyptian
sculpture. The Empire-period sculpture reached a high level of excellence.
It was to provide 'soul-bodies' for dead Pharaohs that these great works of
art were produced. A great advance in the manufacture of pottery was
achieved during the Pyramid Age, when the potter's wheel was invented. To
Egypt the ancient world owed this notable contrivance. It was introduced in
time into Babylonia, Iran, India, China, Crete, Greece, and Western Europe.
Shipbuilding is another Egyptian industry which promoted progress. Cretan
and Phoenician vessels were of Egyptian design. In all histories of
shipping and navigation the ancient Egyptians are credited with being the
pioneers of maritime enterprise. The custom of mummification arose in
Egypt, and promoted the study of anatomy. Surgery had its origin in
mummification, as astronomy had in astrology, and chemistry had in alchemy.
Connected with each temple were architects, artists and sculptors,
metal-workers and dyers. Ships were constructed to obtain wood for temples
and to import pearls, precious stones, herbs, incense-bearing shrubs and
trees, &c., for religious purposes. In the history of early civilization
the Egyptian priests play a prominent part as patrons of the arts and
crafts.
[Illustration: Nefert, a royal princess of the Old Kingdom period