Egypt Lesson 2 - Papier Mache Canopic Jars - Design a canopic styled pot and then build it using papier mache.

Lesson Idea and Outline

Students will asked to design a canopic styled pot with their own emblem and message to pass through the underworld. The Canopic pot's lid will also have an Egyptian headdress with an animal of their choice for their emblem. The side of the pot will utilise hieroglyphics painted in colours which relate to Egyptian colour symbology with their special message.

Overview

Students will be introduced to Ancient Egypt, emphasizing Egyptian religion and art. Students will be able to appreciate some of the cultural and historical achievements of the past and also relate Egyptian influences on contemporary culture. Students will be using papier mache construction techniques , and painting to create a canopic style jar with a lid. Students will design their own emblem and motifs with an Egyptian influenced hieratic style.

Wooden panel with inlaid hieroglyphs

Objectives

To develop an appreciation and learn from a past culture:

Egypt Appreciation/Theoretical

basic understanding of Egyptian Culture and Religion
basic understanding of the history of language
basic understanding of the development of a culture's beliefs affecting lifestyle and its relevance in a contemporary context

Practical

ability to design and problem solve
ability to utilise handbuilding techniques in papier mache to create sculptural forms
ability to design and utilise a number of motifs to enhance a surface

Evaluation and Reflection

Reflect upon the design process and product outcomes
Evaluate the increased knowledge and practical ability in constructing a three dimensional object
Design skills - · elements of design · the difference between a 2 dimensional shape and 3 dimensional object

Time required

Time: 6 periods X 50 minutes. As this is a practical exercise 4 periods of the 6 periods should be a double period to allow for processes to be sequential.

Hint: Organisational skills in the classroom need to be a high priority. Instruct students of the step by step procedures of using the papier mache and for creating the sculptures. Papier mache can be fun and very messy in inexperienced hands. Protective clothing is strongly advised. If the cellulose gets on clothing, wash it off in cold water immediately.

Materials and Equipment

Specialist Resource Room

Art Room,
Sink for cleaning, preparation

Papier mache
Balloon
Icecream bucket
5 litre bucket
Water
Cardboard for base of pot
Cell- wall paper paste
Newspaper · Towelling
Super wipes
White acrylic paint
Range of acrylic paint
Brushes,
water jars
pva
Protective clothing
Wood batton
Newspaper
Towelling
Super wipes

Appreciation:

Visual Diary for student designing and notes
Students will be introduced to Egyptian Art and Culture relating to contemporary examples of cultural beliefs and rituals. The teacher may introduce this in both discussion and asking the students to do offline and online research Slides, Reference Books CD Rom Teaching Aids: examples, student work, or images of canopic jars
Visual Diary for student designing and notes
Slides, Reference Books CD Rom
Teacher Aids: examples, student work, or images of canopic jars

Procedures

Construction and Decorative Methods:

construction
joining
sculpting

decorative
design and drawing
optical effects on 3 dimensional surface,

composition
Painting - using a soft watercolour brushdesign

Students will asked to design a canopic styled pot with their own emblem and message to pass through the underworld. The Canopic pot's lid will also have an Egyptian headdress with an animal of their choice for their emblem. The side of the pot will utilise hieroglyphics painted in colours which relate to Egyptian colour symbology with their special message.

Construction and Decorative Methods:

construction

Preparation of the papier mache mixture:
Place cold/room temperature (depending on the time of year) water (amount) in a 5 litre bucket Sprinkle the amount of wallpaper paste or cellulose and hand blend into water
Let stand for at least an hour before class - this will allow the mixture to turn into a clear gel.

Papier mache technique:

Tear up pieces of paper or strips if large areas need to be covered enough for the project.
Feed the strips through the papier mache mixture and place on the balloon building up layers to create the wall of the pot.
Continue to build up layers until the wall is at least 5mm thick. Allow to dry.
To create forms such as heads of animals students will need to crush small balls of paper into shapes then cover with small pieces of papier mache to create a smooth surface.

C) Lid of Pot

1. Student will need to measure the circumference of the top of the pot making sure that the lid will sit accurately in a smooth transition from body to lid.
2. Model up the lid making the god character that represents your kingdom eg. Turtle: Pharoah Jason Turtle: the student would model the turtle head and place into the horizontally striped headdress as seen in the example.
3. If is difficult to do this an alternative method would be to papier mache the entire balloon and adding the animal head and Egyptian head dress in one go. Later with a sharp stanley knife draw a level line around the pot where the lid would start and cut through. You then would add layers of papier mache to smooth the edge of the body and lid of the pot.
4. Model the base of the lid so that it sits inside the pot. Smooth all surfaces . In tricky detailed areas you could use a needle tool or fine modelling tool.

Hint: Make sure that the lid fits and is level.

Tip: The head dress can be made with thin cardboard. The facial features can be molded up by crushing papier mache into a ball and adding and indenting in the appropriate areas to create character's features.

D) Painting the pot

1. The entire pot needs to be painted with white acrylic to provide a clean surface for the hieroglyphic decoration.
2. The pot may then be painted with a light ochre and white mix to represent the clay surface.
3. Student can transfer their designs to the pot's surface. After the drawings are completed, the pot is ready to be painted.
4. Mix up colours which relate to traditional Egyptian colour symbology.
5. Students need to paint in black first - these are mainly the outlines then let this dry.
   
6. "Colour in" the relevant colours in the design.
   
7. When all the surface is dry , student can unify the surface with an acrylic glaze - (clear solution) or PVA which at first appear cloudy in application but will dry to a clear state.
   

Hint: If students are using poster paints they must be aware that these are soluble and will run when another colour is applied. Acrylic paint has plastic in its solution so the colour becomes opaque and easily painted over when dry.

References

Sculpture Book: Need to find

Student Presentation Options

• students could present a range of jars with various characters
• surface decoration could have individually designed hieroglyphs or pictographs following a theme
• lid of the Canopic jar could be enlarged into a large sculpture
  

Extensions

1. canopic jars could be designed and drawn in coloured pencil, ink, or any other 2d media
2. students use papyrus paper, banana palm or vellum like natural paper to inscribe name or message.
3. hieroglyphic messages could be inscribed on clay tiles and hand painted with coloured slips
4. Eygptian portrait painting with acrylics taking into account "the canon of proportions"
5. Students develop a range of contemporary emblematic characters eg. Look to the work of Keith Haring, Mambo, Cartoons such as Ren & Stimpy or the Simpsons
6. Student could create a Russian doll collection.
   
   

Cross-curricular Options

Arts

• Drama: student play based on the hour of death, the "Book of the Dead." and the journey to along the celestial Nile to the arms of Nut, mother of heavenly bodies
• Dance: students develop a dance sequence study Egyptian and Nubian dance and music styles
• Visual Communication/Graphics - use of symbols, lettering exercise - year 7 or 8
• Music - listen and analyse Egyptian music styles - making similes and comparison with another style.

LOTE

• Asian language - pictographic scripts - students look at Egyptian hieroglyphics and compare with Asian students

Maths

• students use the Egyptian accounting methods to solve mathematical problems or geometry of the Pyramids.

Science

• investigation and research into forensic science, carbon dating, mummification of humans and pets.
  

SOSE

• students use papyrus paper, banana palm or vellum like natural paper to inscribe name or message.
• Study of Ancient Egypt life of the common man, slave and Pharoah
• Study of the Rosetta stone and the Narmer palette - importance of its discovery and translation
• explore different cultures use of colour as important symbols Students would translate universal symbols from Egypt, Western Culture and Asian Culture - could be past or present