Patterned Egyptian Sarcophagus with Tooling Foil Cartouche

3rd graders are learning about pattern in Egyptian art by making their own patterned sarcophagus. We looked at different Egyptian artifacts such as a Pharoah's death mask, sarcophagus, and neck piece and pointed out pattern in all of them. We talked about what exactly is pattern. Now we're ready to focus on our sarcophagus! First we traced the shape & drew the details with pencil. Then traced all of our pencil lines with construction paper crayons (really bright on dark paper!). After that we filled in with many lines of pattern going horrizontal with LOTS of color! Now we're ready for our cartouche!





Using the heiroglyphic alphabet, students took small rectangles of gold tooling foil, and make a cartouche. Using a pencil and keeping the foil ontop of their alphabet worksheet, they push into the foil to draw the symbols for each letter of their name. Then place a ring around it because "cartouche" mean to "encircle". We talked about how your "ka", or spirit, back in Egyptian times, couldn't go onto the afterlife without having a cartouche on the sarcophagus.



coloring in their cartouche with sharpies

finishing line pattern

using pencil to push into gold tooling foil using heiroglyphics alphabet to create a name cartouche

Making a Egyptian neckpiece to wear when finished with the project. Students used Egyptian
books to find items to draw and decorate it