Artwork
Nebamun Receiving Wine
Nebamun Receiving Wine is an unspecified painting by Nina M. Davies. It dates from 1931 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nina M.
About this work
Technique & Style
The facsimile of Nebamun Receiving Wine is rendered in tempera on linen, executed by Nina M.
The facsimile of Nebamun Receiving Wine is rendered in tempera on linen, executed by Nina M. Davies after the painted plaster original in TT 181. Handling emphasizes linear precision and flat color areas, characteristic of early 20th-century facsimile practice, with ink outlines defining forms and hieroglyphic text. Stylistically, the composition adheres to New Kingdom conventions, hierarchical scale, frontal figures, and composite pose, while the rendering exhibits a restrained palette of ochres and earth tones to evoke the tomb’s palette.
History & Provenance
The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds a facsimile painting titled Nebamun Receiving Wine, created by Nina M. Davies. This work depicts the figure of Nebamun alongside Ipuky from the tomb TT 181, illustrating a scene of offering that includes hieroglyphs, wine, and women. The painting is part of the museum's collection under the accession number 30.4.106.
While the original ancient commission and dating are not detailed in the provided records, the specific creation of this facsimile is attributed to Nina M. Davies, who is also noted in the records as Nina de Garis Davies.
Overview
Nina M. Davies created Nebamun Receiving Wine around 1931 as a meticulous record of ancient Egyptian tomb art. This painting captures a scene featuring a seated man, a woman offering an item, and hieroglyphic inscriptions, rendered with vibrant colors and a flat perspective. It formed part of a larger project by Davies and her husband to document and preserve the visual heritage of Egyptian tombs for scholarly study.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a central male figure, possibly Nebamun, seated in a chair, adorned with a striped wig and a red robe, holding a staff. To his left, a woman in red and yellow appears to present him with an offering, likely wine, while another woman stands to the right and a smaller figure kneels with a tray. The background features rows of hieroglyphs, suggesting a formal or ritualistic context common in ancient Egyptian tomb art.
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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