Nubia is another name for Kush...

Art and Architecture in the Kingdom of Kush

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The Kingdom of Kush was an ancient African state who's art and architecture were inspired by Egyptian design but were distinctly African.

Learning Objective[ edit ]

• Evaluate the influence of both Egyptian and African art on the art prodocued by the Kingdom of Kush.

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Key Points[ edit ]

• Established after the the disintegration of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the Kingdom of Kush was centered at Napata in its early phase and later moved to Meroë. After king Kashta invaded Egypt in the 8th century BCE, the Kushite kings ruled as Pharaohs of the 25th dynasty of Egypt for a century.
• Art and architecture flourished in Egypt under the 25th Dynasty. Kushite pharaohs built and restored many temples and monuments throughout the Nile Valley, and the construction of Kushite pyramids became widespread.
• The Kushites used relief sculpture to decorate the walls of palaces and pyramids. The cuts used were deeper and more strategic than Egyptian hieroglyphics. The reliefs mostly depict scenes from African daily life, animals, battle scenes, and kings.
• Pottery was an important Kushite craft and consisted mostly of pots and bowls that were shaped from clay and then painted in many different colors. Common decorative motifs included animals and geometric and plant-based patterns.
• The kings of Kush adopted the Egyptian architectural idea of building stone pyramids as funerary monuments. However, Kushite pyramids were built above the underground graves, whereas the Egyptian graves were inside the pyramid. The most famous Kushite pyramids are in Meroë.

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Terms[ edit ]

• relief
  A type of artwork in which shapes or figures protrude from a flat background.
  
  
• pyramid
  An ancient massive construction with a square or rectangular base and four triangular sides meeting in an apex, such as those built as tombs in Egypt or as bases for temples in Mesoamerica.

Source: Boundless. “Art and Architecture in the Kingdom of Kush.” Boundless Art History. Boundless, 20 May. 2016. Retrieved 25 May. 2016 from https://www.boundless.com/art-history/textbooks/boundless-art-history-textbook/ancient-egyptian-art-4/late-egyptian-art-58/art-and-architecture-in-the-kingdom-of-kush-315-8407/