Dionysus And Stela Of Horus Comparison Essay

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Contrast and Comparison Between Plate of Dionysus and the Stela of Horus It is said that a picture paints a thousand words. Logically, then, a three dimensional object must evoke words beyond limitation and capture emotions that only the sculptor himself would have expressed. This seems to be the case in both the Plate of Dionysus of the Sasanian period and the Stela of Horus from Ancient Egypt. As they each embody the artistic era of their time, their influences can be seen in one and in the other. Both artifacts are tributes to the gods of their respective cultures, and they have certain commonalities yet they also have their own differences. The very first noticeable attribute of the Stela of Horus with magical inscriptions is that the entire space is occupied by either hieroglyphs or figures. There seems to be absolutely no blank space. Shaped in the form a tablet, the god Horus is seen standing on top of a creature such as that of an alligator while holding in each hand various other animals like a tiger, scorpions, snakes, and a stag. As this is a…show more content…
As the stela was made approximately eight hundred years earlier – 300 BCE compared to the Plate’s 500 CE estimate – its design is much more simplistic when it comes to the body. Horus’s form is very rigid, as he is standing and facing directly forward; Dionysus, on the other hand, is shown lounging and enjoying the scene unfolding before him, and the only thing missing is the ambient music. The material used also seems to show a difference in the purpose of the works. The stone stela of Horus would have been easier to duplicate so that many could be used in a procession, while the silver plate of Dionysus is most likely the only copy available and kept under watchful eyes. While the tablet may have been in various tombs and households, the plate would most likely be kept in one and only one place such as a
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