Senior Secondary Art
Gold Bactrian Aphrodite, Tillya Tepe, 100 BC -100 AD
Written by
Editing and layout by
Ann Butler
Program Coordinator
Melbourne Museum
Barbara Wels
Licensed to Queensland Museum 2013
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Copyright
Teachers may photocopy this kit
for educational purposes.
© All images supplied by National
Geographic
List of Contents
EDUCATION KIT
Senior Secondary Art
Teacher Notes
Introduction
1
Curriculum Links
2
Student Activities
Task 1
Similar or different?
Task 2
Talk it over
Task 3
Analyse the elements
Task 4
Frame a conclusion
3
6
6
16
Resources
17
Exhibition Map
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Teacher Notes
Introduction
In 2013-14 Queensland Museum & Sciencentre is hosting Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures
from the National Museum, Kabul — an exhibition of precious artefacts from four important
archaeological sites in the region.
A nation stays alive when its culture stays alive’ is the motto of the National Museum in
Kabul. Visit the museum website at http://www.nationalmuseum.af/ to see how
Afghanistan’s cultural heritage is being preserved.
Melbourne Museum has developed a series of Education Kits (licensed for use by
Queensland Museum) ,including this one tailored to Middle Secondary Art. The ‘Introduction
to the Exhibition’ Education Kit provides a starting point for teachers. All kits can be
downloaded from the Queensland Museum exhibition website.
The National Geographic website is another useful resource. It includes short videos of each
of the four archaeological sites featured in this exhibition. Go to:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/afghanistan/ and
http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/mission/afghanistan-treasures/
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul focuses on Afghanistan’s
central position as a trading centre on the Silk Road. The artefacts on display represent key
archaeological sites and a mix of cultural influences. A close study of these objects teaches
students about how artists absorb influences from different cultures into their work, changing
and combining quite distinctive iconographies.
This kit is linked to studies of Art and Culture (written for the Victorian Certificate of
Education, Unit 2). On completion of this unit the student should be able to analyse,
interpret, compare and contrast artworks from different cultures.
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Teacher Notes
Curriculum Links
Hidden Treasures and Senior Secondary Art
Classroom Resources
in Museum Education Kit
Study: Art and
Culture
Key knowledge
Students understand the role and
purpose of art in cultural contexts.
Task 3
Analyse the elements
Students understand how artworks
can reflect the beliefs, values and
traditions of different cultures.
Task 1
Similar or different?
Task 2
Talk it over
Task 3
Analyse the elements
Students are familiar with aspects of
the Formal Framework and the
Cultural Framework.
Task 3
Analyse the elements
Students are familiar with art
language for the expression of
discussion and research
Task 4
Frame a conclusion
Key Skills
Students apply the Formal
Framework and the Cultural
Framework to analyse and interpret
artworks from different cultures.
Task 3
Analyse the elements
Students compare and contrast
artworks from different cultures.
Task 1
Similar or different?
Task 2
Talk it over
Students substantiate personal
opinions with reference to artworks.
Task 4
Frame a conclusion
Students use appropriate art
language to discuss artworks.
All tasks
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
Task 1:
Similar or different?
Carefully study the four images of artworks. They have many features in common however
they are also quite distinctly different. Note their features and identify the similarities and
differences on the worksheet provided.
TIP: You can also view these objects at (go to Their Treasures):
http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/afghanistan/
Object 1.1
Object 1.2
This is a plaster cast of the Greek
This gold plaque was found at Tillya Tepe. It
goddess Aphrodite, found in a sealed
was one of over 2,000 pieces of gold jewellery
storeroom in Begram.
found in a nomadic burial site. It is thought to
depict the goddess Aphrodite.
Scholars believe that plaster casts were
brought to Begram so that local artisans
could copy the designs and styles in
other materials, possibly bronze.
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
Object 1.3
Object 1.4
This ivory statue was also
This marble statue of the goddess
found in a sealed storeroom
Aphrodite is a Roman copy of a Greek
in Begram.
statue originally made by Praxiteles in
the fourth century BC. The Roman
Scholars say that it
copy was made in the first century AD
resembles the Indian
and later discovered on the Greek
goddess Ganga.
island of Melos.
This statue does not originate from
Afghanistan and it does not appear in
the exhibition. It is included here for
comparison and as an indication of
the Greek influence. It can be seen as
a kind of prototype for the other three
statues.
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
Worksheet
Task 1: Similar or different?
Features
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Plaster cast of
Gold plaque of
Ivory carving of
Marble statue
female figure
female figure
female figure
of female
Note down your
observations as you go
and use them as points of
figure
comparison.
e.g. Material
stone
X
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
Task 2: Talk it over
a) In small groups, discuss the similarities and differences identified on the worksheet
and then answer the following questions.

How do you account for the similarities between these four statues?

How do you account for the differences?

Are the artworks different because they come from different cultures or are they
different because different individual artists made them?
Task 3: Analyse the elements
Select one of the following three artworks and complete the Formal Framework Analysis and
Cultural Framework Analysis Sheets provided.
1.1 Plaster cast of female figure
1.2 Gold plaque of female figure
1.3 Ivory carving of female figure
TIPS
Aphrodite of Knidos (Image 1.4) has been used as an example in the two sample analysis
sheets provided.
The sample sheets include information about the Greek tradition that influenced artists
throughout Central Asia over a long period and other details that may help you to add more
to your Task 1 worksheet before you move onto Task 3.
See art historians discussing a Roman copy of a Praxiteles statue of Aphrodite (Venus)
online at http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/after-praxiteles-venus-roman-copy.html
The National Geographic website features short videos about each of the four
archaeological sites featured in this exhibition, and the artefacts associated with them.
Go to http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/mission/afghanistan-treasures/.
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
Formal Framework Analysis Sheet
Name of Artefact:
Scope: The Formal Framework is used to analyse the way an artwork’s formal elements and
principles contribute to its meanings and messages. It’s about looking carefully at the
artwork. Refer back to the notes you made on the worksheet for Task 1 and address the
categories and considerations listed below.
Visual Analysis

What material has been used to make this artwork?

What does it look like? Describe the shape, colour, texture, size, weight.

What is the focal point of the artwork?

How has space been used in the artwork?

How have the formal elements of line, colour, tone, texture, shape and form,
including focal point and space, been applied by the artist and to what effect?

How do these qualities contribute to the meanings and messages of the artwork?
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
Formal Framework Analysis Sheet (continued)
Technique

What materials and techniques have been used?

How do the materials or technical skills used shape or affect interpretation?

Is this due to inherent qualities of the materials, or to their application by the artist?
Style

What are the distinctive stylistic qualities of the artwork and how do they contribute
to meaning?

How does the work relate to other works in a similar style or from the same historical
period or cultural background?
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
Formal Framework Analysis Sheet (continued)
Symbols and Metaphors

What physical aspects or aspects of presentation of the artwork contain symbolic
meaning and use of metaphor? This may include the use of formal art elements, the
composition or arrangement of figures or objects, the medium or the technique used
by the artist, or the style in which it is created.
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
SAMPLE
Formal Framework Analysis Sheet
Scope: The Formal Framework is used to analyse the way an artwork’s formal elements and
principles contribute to its meanings and messages. It’s about looking carefully at the
artwork. Refer back to the notes you made on the worksheet for Task 1 and address the
categories and considerations listed below.
Name of Artefact: Aphrodite of Knidos (Image 1.4)
Visual Analysis

What material has been used to make this artwork?
This statue is made of marble.
It was probably carved in one piece.

What does it look like? Describe the shape, colour, texture, size, weight.
The statue is free-standing and almost life-size.
It depicts Aphrodite either getting ready to bathe or engaged in a cleansing ritual.
She is shown nude.
She is holding in her left hand a robe draped over a vessel, perhaps containing
water for bathing.
The drapery would originally have been painted and her body would have been
decorated with gold jewellery.

What is the focal point of the artwork?
Aphrodite’s genital area is the focal point of the work. The hand which seems to be
modestly protecting her privacy actually serves to draw the gaze of the viewer
directly to what she is trying to hide. This could be seen as appropriate for a goddess
of sexual love.

How has space been used in the artwork?
This Roman copy of the Praxiteles original would have been situated in a villa,
garden or outdoor temple. It therefore could be seen as occupying a public space at
the same time as depicting the goddess engaged in an intimate, private activity.
The curve of the body and the placement of the urn and drapery serve to accentuate
the shape of the object in space.
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
SAMPLE
Formal Framework Analysis Sheet (continued)

How have the formal elements of line, colour, tone, texture, shape and form,
including focal point and space, been applied by the artist and to what effect?
In the original sculpture, Praxiteles has applied formal elements with care to create
an alluring yet credible depiction of a goddess.

How do these qualities contribute to the meanings and messages of the
artwork?
They create an object of beauty that has presence and realism, inviting worship by
the Greeks, and appealing to the Romans’ sense of aesthetics.
Technique

What materials and techniques have been used?
Marble, carving

How do the materials or technical skills used shape or affect interpretation?
Aphrodite is meant to be the most beautiful woman in the world and, in fact, the
epitome of beauty and sexual attractiveness.
Marble is a comparatively soft material to work with and has a translucent skin-like
quality.
The statue would have had eyes inlaid with glass or stones in an effort to make the
sculpture appear as life-like as possible.

Is this due to inherent qualities of the materials, or to their application by the
artist?
Both - the marble surface evokes the idea of skin while the artist’s skill in working
with stone resulted in a sculpture that is both alluring and life-like.
Style

What are the distinctive stylistic qualities of the artwork and how do they
contribute to meaning?
As the goddess of love, the sculpture epitomises ideals of feminine beauty.
The fact that she is completely nude was said, even in ancient times, to add to her
fascination — as an ideal and as an object of sexual attraction.
Stories of young men falling in love with the statue were not uncommon.
There are stories of statues believed to have come alive and for that reason, they
were chained in place.
Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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Student Activity
SAMPLE
Formal Framework Analysis Sheet (continued)

How does the work relate to other works in a similar style or from the same
historical period or cultural background?
Convention dictated that Aphrodite be depicted in some way with water or sea
creatures as she was said to have arisen from the sea.
The original Praxiteles sculpture created some controversy because of the subject’s
nudity, but a tradition of portraying Aphrodite (or Venus to the Romans) in this
manner began with this work.
It is possible to trace the history and development of representations of Aphrodite
(later the Roman goddess Venus) through the many examples left to us.
Aphrodite became a popular figure in Central Asia through the influence of Greek
culture introduced by the descendants of Alexander’s armies. This influence
persisted long after the Greek Empire had fallen and can be seen in several works
from Bactria but also in works which blend Indian and Hellenistic styles in Begram
and Tillya Tepe.
Botticelli’s famous painting Birth of Venus gives some idea of the way patterns,
shapes and ideas move across time and cultures. Find out more by viewing this
video at
http://wn.com/Aphrodite_of_Knidos_Ancient_Art_Podcast_26#/videos
Symbols and Metaphors

What physical aspects or aspects of presentation of the artwork contain
symbolic meaning and use of metaphor? This may include the use of formal
art elements, the composition or arrangement of figures or objects, the
medium or the technique used by the artist, or the style in which it is created.
A contemporary audience would have been able to identify this as a depiction of
Aphrodite because the artist has used the water motif most commonly applied to her.
Statues of Aphrodite (Venus) are meant to convey sensuality and sexuality – which
is done here by the beauty of the form, her pose and her nudity.
As the goddess of love she is depicted as a beautiful young woman, her right hand
slightly obscuring her genital area. She is balanced on her right leg with her left
slightly bent. This adds to the sensuousness of her pose.
Art historians have speculated as to whether the statue shows the goddess caught in
a private moment and hurriedly covering herself or whether her hand gesture is in
fact unashamedly drawing attention to her sexuality.
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
Cultural Framework Analysis Sheet
Name of artwork:
Scope: The Cultural Framework is used to identify the influences on an artwork. For
instance, its purpose and also the time, place, cultural and political settings in which it was
made. These influences may include historical, political, social, socio-economic or religious
contexts as well as aspects of ethnicity and gender. Base your analysis on the following
questions.

How do the social, political, cultural or religious contexts of the artwork contribute to
its meaning?

How have historical or contemporary events shaped the intention of the artist or our
understanding of the artwork’s meaning?

How do gender values reflect the social context of the time the artwork was
produced? How do these values compare to the values of today?
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
Cultural Framework Analysis Sheet (continued)

How does the physical placement of artworks affect their interpretation?

How does the cultural background of the viewer influence the interpretation of an
artwork?
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
SAMPLE
Cultural Framework Analysis Sheet
Name of artwork: Aphrodite of Knidos (Image 1.4)
Scope: The Cultural Framework is used to identify the influences on an artwork. For
instance, its purpose and also the time, place, cultural and political settings in which it was
made. These influences may include historical, political, social, socio-economic or religious
contexts as well as aspects of ethnicity and gender.

How do the social, political, cultural or religious contexts of the artwork
contribute to its meaning?
The original version of this sculpture was commissioned from Praxiteles by the
citizens of the island of Kos in the fourth century BC. They wanted a statue of
Aphrodite for their temple.
Praxiteles made two statues, one fully clothed, the other nude.
At that time, life-size nude statues of women had not been seen before. The citizens
were horrified by the nude statue and chose the clothed one.The nude version went
to Knidos.
The original statue has been lost (as has the clothed version) but some idea of it is
preserved by this Roman copy (Image 1.4).
The role of sculpture of this kind in ancient Greece and Rome was to create an
object worthy of the goddess being portrayed, but also to allow its owner to display
their wealth.
The original work by Praxiteles may have had a religious purpose but the Roman
copies often did not.
The quality of the marble, the skill of the carving and the inspiration for the design
would have contributed to the value of the work. It was made to be looked at and
appreciated for its beauty.

How have historical or contemporary events shaped the intention of the artist
or our understanding of the artwork’s meaning?
Praxiteles made his work almost 600 years before this Roman copy was created
between AD 175 and 200.
The Romans were fascinated with Greek art – especially the work of famous and
significant sculptors.
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Student Activity
SAMPLE
Cultural Framework Analysis Sheet (continued)

How do gender values reflect the social context of the time the artwork was
produced? How do these values compare to the values of today?
The people of Knidos accepted the nude version despite its shock value. This tells
us, perhaps, that the ancient Greeks were happy to celebrate female sexuality,
although they might have preferred less confronting images of it.

How does the physical placement of artworks affect their interpretation?
Praxiteles designed his work for a temple so it obviously had religious significance.
The Romans had a different purpose, reproducing famous works of Greek art for
their prestige value and for their aesthetic qualities. They were as likely to be placed
in domestic environments as religious ones — hence the reduction in scale of this
Roman reproduction.
This statuette is three feet high and was probably made for a domestic setting such
as a villa or a garden. Wealthy Romans requisitioned these kinds of works, perhaps
as decorations, as a reminder of their travels or to show off their sophistication. The
purpose of the work has therefore changed over the intervening period.

How does the cultural background of the viewer influence the interpretation of
an artwork?
While as modern viewers of art we are quite used to female nudes, the ancient
Greeks were not. Praxiteles caused significant controversy because he showed the
goddess naked. Aphrodite, however, was still celebrated as the goddess of sexual
love. Celebration of overt female sexuality remains a problematic area for some in
the present day.
Task 4: Frame a conclusion
Formalise and present the key findings and conclusions of your analysis in one of the
following ways:

an extended written response

short-answer responses supported by visual references

an annotated visual report

a multimedia presentation.
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Resources
Key Sources
National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul
Museum website including information about collections, exhibitions, images and a map
showing archaeological sites
http://www.nationalmuseum.af/
National Geographic
Information about Afghanistan, the exhibition and its themes, including maps and a fantastic
range of videos and other resources
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/mission/Afghanistan-treasures/
Melbourne Museum
Museum website with information about exhibitions, education programs and online
resources for teachers and students including:
Guidelines on Conducting a Community of Inquiry
The Wonders of Ancient Mesopotamia
http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/afghanistan/
http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/education/
Books
Hiebert, F., and Cambon, P., (editors) Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National
Museum of Kabul, Exhibition Catalogue, collective publication by National Geographic,
Museum Victoria, Queensland Museum, Art Gallery of NSW and Western Australian
Museum
Websites
Hub pages — Sarah Perkins’ Formal Analysis of Aphrodite of Knidos versus Venus de Milo
http://sarahperkins.hubpages.com/hub/Art-History-Formal-Analysis-Aphrodite-of-Knidos-vsVenus-de-Milo
National Geographic —interactive map with information about artefacts and themes
Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mission/Afghanistan-treasures/
Smart History — art historians discuss a Roman copy of a Praxiteles statue of Aphrodite
http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/after-praxiteles-venus-roman-copy.html
World News — Aphrodite of Knidos
http://wn.com/Aphrodite_of_Knidos_Ancient_Art_Podcast_26#/videos
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Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
Exhibition Map
Welcome to Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures
from the National Museum, Kabul.
For assistance and directions during your
Museum visit, ask our
Visitor Services Staff (black t-shirt)
or
Volunteers (purple t-shirt).

Schools and Groups
entrance/bag store: Level 0

Collectors Café: Level 2

M & F Toilets:
Level 4, Level 2, Level 0.

Accessible Toilets: Level 2, Level 0

Please note, there are no toilets located
within this exhibition.
Please recognise that some items are not permitted
within this exhibition. This and other helpful
information for Planning Your Visit available online for
Schools and Groups.
Senior Secondary Art Teacher Kit - www.afghanistan.qm.qld.gov.au
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