CAST OF THE BATTLEFIELD PALETTE (Plaster Cast)
Predynastic Egypt (c. 3100 BCE)
1917.53.803
A plaster cast of a ceremonial predynastic palette (used for the crushing of pigment for paint or possibly makeup) from Egypt, depicting the aftermath of a battle. This object was displayed in the co-curated gallery trail "Nothing Without Us: Experiences of Disability" at the Pitt Rivers Museum, curated by Kyle Lewis Jordan, running from 16th...
Rights information: Copyright: Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford
Description
A plaster cast of a ceremonial predynastic palette (used for the crushing of pigment for paint or possibly makeup) from Egypt, depicting the aftermath of a battle. This object was displayed in the co-curated gallery trail "Nothing Without Us: Experiences of Disability" at the Pitt Rivers Museum, curated by Kyle Lewis Jordan, running from 16th November 2023 - 6th October 2024.
This cast is taken from a fragment which currently resides in the Ashmolean Museum (AN1892.1171) and the fragment itself fits with a larger fragment at the British Museum (EA20791) to create a fuller (although still incomplete) image.
Community curation: Warfare is and has always been inherently disabling. Some of the earliest depictions of conflict focus on the act of maiming, such as the case with this cast of the fragmented Battlefield Palette. Capturing the aftermath of a battle, we witness two bound, captive enemies being led away, their bodies restricted and contorted in unnatural ways. Their captors are abstract representations of the King, emphasising his right to maim. - Kyle J, a battle-scarred self-advocate, Curating for Change Fellow (Ashmolean Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum)