Artwork
Eight Ceiling Patterns, Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky
Eight Ceiling Patterns, Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Nina M. Davies. It dates from 1396 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Originating from the context of the late 14th century BCE, the pieces replicate the original Egyptian ceiling patterns found in the ancient tomb.
These works are facsimile paintings created by Nina M. Davies to document the ceiling decorations from the Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky (TT 181). Originating from the context of the late 14th century BCE, the pieces replicate the original Egyptian ceiling patterns found in the ancient tomb. The medium is painting, executed as a precise copy to preserve the visual details of the archaeological site.
Held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the works serve as a record of the formal designs that once adorned the tomb's ceiling, capturing the stylistic qualities of the period through the artist's hand.
History & Provenance
This work is a facsimile painting created by Nina M. Davies, depicting ceiling patterns from the shared tomb (TT 181) of Nebamun and Ipuky. The original decoration dates to approximately 1390 BCE, a period reflected in the inception date assigned to Davies' copy. The artwork entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is held under the accession number 30.4.102.
As a documentary facsimile, the piece serves to preserve the visual record of the ancient tomb's architectural details rather than representing an original commission from the Eighteenth Dynasty.
Eight Ceiling Patterns, Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The facsimile painting by Nina M. Davies is catalogued under accession number 30.4.102. It forms part of the museum's collection of copies documenting Egyptian tomb decoration, and no separate loan or temporary exhibition history is recorded in the available sources.
The work is identified on Wikidata as "Facsimile, Nebamun (TT 181), Ipuky, ceiling by Nina de Garis Davies (MET, 30.4.102)," confirming both the holding institution and the accession number.
Overview
The work titled Eight Ceiling Patterns, Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky is a painted decoration from the interior of an ancient Egyptian tomb. It depicts a series of eight distinct ceiling motifs arranged in two horizontal rows of four. The piece is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and was documented by early‑twentieth‑century Egyptologists Nina M. Davies and Norman de Garis Davies.
Subject & Meaning
Each of the eight panels combines geometric forms, such as zigzags and concentric circles, with stylized circular motifs. The designs serve a decorative function within the burial chamber, contributing to the visual program that surrounded the deceased, Nebamun and his wife Ipuky, and reflecting broader symbolic concerns of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
The Egyptologists Nina M. Davies (6 January 1881 – 21 April 1965) and Norman de Garis Davies (1865–5 November 1941) were a married couple of illustrators and copyists who worked in the early and mid-twentieth century…
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