Pippin Michelli wrote:
>....Do we know the reason for the orant posture?
In some string on this list or Medard last fall the subject came up and
someone mentioned Egypt, which led me to rethink my visual interpretation of
the common "orans" pose--hands raised face-high, palms out--found in many
representations of Pharaoh before a god.
I say "common", though, perversely, a half hour's web search has only turned
up this crummy image of a late example from the loopie king, Akhenaton (18th
dynasty):
http://www.ashmol.ox.ac.uk/gri/9akhetat.html
And another, with Akhenaton and Nefertiti making offerings, rather than
receiving the good vibes:
http://alaike.lcc.hawaii.edu/sg/101images/ame6.html
http://www-lib.haifa.ac.il/www/art/egy/vi_104_akh_nef.jpg
Allowing for Egyptian perspective conventions, it seems pretty clear that we
have here a perfectly correct "Christian" orans in 3/4 profile.
Best to all,
Christopher
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