Mediterr. J. Otol 2007; 3:(2)

The ear in the visual arts of ancient Egypt

Albert Mudry, Wolfgang Pirsig

ENT and HNS Specialist in private practice, Lausanne, Switzerland. amudry@worldcom.ch

Ear disease and function in ancient Egypt are known through paleopathology and the reading of medical papyri. The aim of this report is to present the different functions attributed to the ear as found in the visual art of ancient Egypt. Three main ear functions are recognized  in the visual art of ancient Egypt: hearing, mediation while in prayer, and decoration. Hearing is sometimes portrayed in art by singers holding their hands behind their ears to demonstrate listening. Mediation while in prayer was also very popular, which explains the numerous stelae and painted reliefs in funeral inscriptions. Finally, piercing the earlobe was used not only for decoration but also to guard the human body against demon spirits. The study of the ear in visual arts of ancient Egypt enhances the knowledge of ear function provided by classical written and  paleopathologic sources.