Artwork
Man Making Leather Rope, Tomb of Rekhmire

Man Making Leather Rope, Tomb of Rekhmire is an unspecified painting by Nina M. Davies. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This drawing by Egyptologist and illustrator Nina M.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work shows a man engaged in the activity of making leather rope, a scene drawn from the Tomb of Rekhmire facsimile painted by Nina M. Davies in 1479. The depiction focuses on the figure’s labor, presenting a straightforward representation of work rather than elaborate mythological or religious iconography.
History & Provenance
The available records do not list any documented exhibition history for the piece in the provided sources as of the latest documentation.
Man Making Leather Rope, Tomb of Rekhmire is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work is accessioned under the number 33.8.2 within the museum’s collection. Created in 1479 by Nina M. Davies, the painting depicts a scene of rope making in the tomb of Rekhmire (TT100).
The available records do not list any documented exhibition history for the piece in the provided sources as of the latest documentation.
Overview
This drawing by Egyptologist and illustrator Nina M. Davies meticulously reproduces a scene from the ancient Tomb of Rekhmire. It depicts a man engaged in the craft of making leather rope, offering insight into the daily labor practices of ancient Egypt. Davies' work was part of a broader effort to document and preserve the visual record of these historical sites. The piece is now part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Technique & Style
Executed as a black-and-white drawing, Davies' reproduction captures the details of the original tomb painting with precision. The clean, focused lines emphasize the man's hunched posture and the specific actions involved in twisting the rope, conveying the physical effort of the task. Rather than a mere sketch, the drawing functions as a careful study, designed to accurately record and convey the ancient artistic representation of labor.
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…
















