Artwork
Sandal Maker, Tomb of Rekhmire
Sandal Maker, 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.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
By portraying the artisan at work, the painting emphasizes the importance of skilled labor and the provision of goods for the afterlife.
The work depicts a scene of leather working within the Tomb of Rekhmire, specifically illustrating the craft of sandal making. The imagery captures a man engaged in the physical labor of his trade, utilizing various tools to construct footwear. This representation serves as an iconographic record of daily life and specialized craftsmanship in ancient Egypt.
By portraying the artisan at work, the painting emphasizes the importance of skilled labor and the provision of goods for the afterlife. The subject matter reflects the tomb's broader function of documenting the duties and industries that supported the deceased official's status and eternal needs.
History & Provenance
The facsimile painting titled Sandal Maker, depicting a scene from the Tomb of Rekhmire (TT 100), is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, created by Nina M. Davies, bears the accession number 31.6.26. While the original tomb scene dates to approximately 1504 BCE, the specific artifact in the museum's custody is a modern reproduction of the ancient leather-working process. The provided sources do not contain information regarding specific exhibitions where this piece was displayed.
Overview
This painting, titled Sandal Maker, Tomb of Rekhmire, is a twentieth-century copy by Egyptologist Nina M. Davies. Working with her husband, Norman de Garis Davies, she meticulously documented ancient Egyptian tomb art. The work captures a craftsman engaged in the production of footwear, offering a glimpse into daily life and specialized labor as depicted in the original tomb.
Technique & Style
The visual representation adheres to typical ancient Egyptian artistic conventions. The figure is rendered in a flat, two-dimensional manner, presented in profile without the use of shading to create depth or volume. This approach, which minimizes perspective and emphasizes clear outlines, was characteristic of the period, prioritizing legibility and symbolic representation over naturalistic depiction.
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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