Artwork
Preparing Dough, Tomb of Rekhmire
Preparing Dough, Tomb of Rekhmire is an unspecified painting by Nina M. Davies. It dates from 1504 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Preparing Dough" is a painting found within the Tomb of Rekhmire, an ancient Egyptian official.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By focusing on such mundane tasks, the work highlights the importance of sustenance and the continuity of domestic responsibilities beyond death.
The painting shows a male figure engaged in the act of preparing dough, with a wash basin and a basket placed nearby. These elements signal ordinary household activities such as cooking and food preparation, emphasizing the routine labor that sustained daily life in the tomb’s funerary context. By focusing on such mundane tasks, the work highlights the importance of sustenance and the continuity of domestic responsibilities beyond death.
The scene is dated to the mid‑16th century and is attributed to Nina M. Davies, whose watercolor reproduction was acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
History & Provenance
The facsimile Preparing Dough, Tomb of Rekhmire was painted by Nina M. Davies in 1504, reproducing a scene of food preparation from the Theban tomb of Rekhmire (TT 100). Davies created the work as part of her series of exact copies of Egyptian tomb paintings for museum study. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and is recorded there under accession number 31.6.16, where it remains on view.
The provenance thus traces directly from the artist to the MET, with no intermediate owners recorded in the available sources.
Overview
"Preparing Dough" is a painting found within the Tomb of Rekhmire, an ancient Egyptian official. This artwork captures a moment of domestic activity, showing two figures collaborating in the process of making bread or a similar food item. As a component of the tomb's extensive wall decorations, the painting provides a visual record of everyday life and labor during the New Kingdom period. It serves as a window into the practical aspects of ancient Egyptian culture.
Technique & Style
The artistic approach employed in this painting is characteristic of ancient Egyptian tomb decoration. Figures are rendered with flat, vibrant colors, accentuated by distinct red outlines that define their forms. The skin tones are depicted as light, adhering to conventional representations.
A simplified, almost abstract shape, possibly a basket or boat, occupies the upper background. This style emphasizes clarity and symbolism over naturalistic depth, reflecting the aesthetic conventions prevalent in its era.
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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