What do you see going on in this work of art? Is there a story depicted?

Because it is a mystery as to why the base was offered by the King and placed in the Nile Delta there is no clear story, however it is evident that the base may have held significant spiritual value because of the construction of a temple model implicates that the temple was very important and needed to be carefully planned.

What different visual elements (ie: line, color, light, proportions, scale, composition, media type etc.) do you notice, and how do they help you make sense of the artwork?

In comparison to the nearby modern reconstruction of the temple, it’s clear that the base serves as the physical and metaphorical foundation for the temple with its strong, rigid lines and edges (that have since been worn down) and the thick strong structure of the base’s walls.

What choices do you think the museum made about the object’s display?

It is one of the only pieces in the gallery that is not covered by a glass case, which is interesting because the modern reconstruction is fully encased but not the authentic base. However, this makes it easier for us to observe the weathering of the base and we can imagine what it would look like when it was found placed in the Nile Delta.

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