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Vincent Osei
Professor Apgar
ART105
February 27 2015.
Mini Visual Analysis: Votive Figure Of Gudea and Khafre(seated)

After the fall of the Akkadian empire to Guti, they ruled for a short period till the Sumerians took over. All through this period, only one Sumerian city-state remained independent. That was Lagash whose capital city was Girsu. Gudea, the ruler built and restored temples and he continued a very respected tradition at that time. In each temple, he placed a votive figure. A votive figure is a statue or artefact that symbolizes continuous worship and utmost dedication to a god.
The votive figure of Gudea is said to have existed around 2090 BC in Guru, the capital of
Lagash which is now present day Telloh, Iraq. It stands about two and a half feet tall and it is made out of diorite. Diorite is an extremely hard rock which makes carving very difficult. So the intricate details on this statue is very impressive. It is an interesting fact to note that about twenty six votive figures of Gudea have been excavated and they all look pretty much the same.
Although some are carved to be seated and other standing, they look so similar that it almost seems it was made by one artist.

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This votive figure of Gudea is carved to be a man holding a vase overflowing with water.
It has fishes jumping out of the water. This symbolizes life. He wears a headband or a crown to show that he was a ruler. He has a rather youthful vibe to him. He wears a long cloak with cuneiform inscriptions written all over. The cuneiform inscriptions states that he has dedicated himself, the temple and the statue to the goddess Geshtinanna, the divine poet and interpreter of dreams. His right arm is bare revealing a very chiseled muscular arm. His face is also very youthful and his eyes large and seem to be looking or focusing on one thing. This was a way of telling the goddess that he was eternally worshipping and focusing only on her.

Khafre(2520-2494 BCE) was an Egyptian king and pharaoh that succeeded Khufu ( 2551-2528 BCE). In Egypt, there is a funerary complex that attributed to Khafre and is most famous for the Great Sphynx that sits right behind the valley temple. Inside the valley temple are a series of life size statues that portray Khafre as an enthroned king.
This statue of Khafre dates back to 2520-2494 BCE and is found in Giza, valley temple of Khafre. It is 1.68 meters in height and is made out of diorite-gabbro gneiss. This is rare stone

[Last Name] 3 imported from Nubia that gives a unique optical effect. When the sunlight filling the temple's clerestory touches the statue, it scintillates a deep blue color which is the celestial color of Horus
(the falcon god that crouches behind Khafre in the statue). It is a wonderful sight to behold.
The statue of Khafre shows Horus, the falcon god, perching at the back of Khafre's head with its wings open wide to touch either sides of Khafre's royal headpiece. On the throne which
Khafre is seated, a lion( which is a symbol of authority) make up the legs of the throne and on the side of the throne is an interweaving of lotus and papyrus plants. This is to the show