1880s Egyptian Religion, Obelisks, and Archaeological Views – Mizraim Chromolithographs
DESCRIPTION
This group of plates explores the religious beliefs, monuments, and archaeological landscapes of ancient Egypt.
Several plates reproduce scenes from the Book of the Dead, including dramatic depictions of the soul’s judgment before the gods and the worship of the sun god Ra. Others document Egypt’s monumental obelisks, including Cleopatra’s Needle in Alexandria and its later relocation to Central Park in New York. The selection concludes with a detailed archaeological plan of ancient Thebes, offering a cartographic view of one of Egypt’s most important religious capitals.
These plates were published in the late nineteenth century in Samuel Augustus Binion’s monumental Egyptological work Mizraim: The History, Religion, Learning and Antiquities of Ancient Egypt. Produced during a period of intense European and American fascination with Egyptian archaeology, the plates were printed as finely detailed chromolithographs and engravings to reproduce the artifacts, monuments, and religious imagery uncovered by early expeditions.
Cleopatra’s Needle in its Present Site (Central Park, New York City)
This plate shows the famous obelisk after its relocation to Central Park in New York, where it was erected in 1881. The scene reflects nineteenth-century fascination with transporting ancient monuments to modern cities.
The Four Sides of the Obelisk (Cleopatra’s Needle)
A detailed study of the obelisk’s four faces, each covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions honoring ancient Egyptian rulers. Small vignette figures beneath the columns illustrate the pharaohs responsible for the monument’s dedication.
Cleopatra’s Needle and the Roman Tower (Alexandria)
This archaeological view depicts the famous obelisk known as Cleopatra’s Needle standing near the ruins of Alexandria. The scene captures the monument within its original Egyptian setting before its later removal to the West.
Judgment of the Dead
This dramatic composition illustrates the Egyptian belief in the final judgment of the soul. The deceased is presented before Osiris and other deities while symbolic registers of divine figures appear above, representing the spiritual tribunal that determined entry into the afterlife.
Adoration of Ra (From a Papyrus in the Museum of Leiden)
A richly colored reproduction of an ancient papyrus depicting worship of the sun god Ra. Figures kneel in reverence beneath the solar disk while sacred symbols such as the ankh emphasize themes of life, rebirth, and divine power.
Judgment of the Dead (From a Papyrus in the Museum of Leiden) – Plate A
This plate reproduces a section of the famous funerary papyrus scenes illustrating the weighing of the heart ceremony. Gods including Anubis and Thoth oversee the ritual that determines the fate of the soul.
Judgment of the Dead (From a Papyrus in the Museum of Leiden) – Plate B
A continuation of the judgment narrative showing additional divine figures, offerings, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. The scene vividly conveys the complex theology surrounding death and resurrection in ancient Egypt.
Map of Thebes
A topographical plan showing the ruins of ancient Thebes (No-Amon) along the Nile River. Temples, ruins, and surrounding landscape features are carefully mapped, illustrating one of Egypt’s most important archaeological regions.
CONDITION
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