Cooking Cakes with Fat, Tomb of Rekhmire by Nina M. Davies

Nina M. Davies · 1504-01-01

This isn't an ancient Egyptian tomb painting, but a meticulous copy by Nina M. Davies, created around 1904. Titled "Cooking Cakes with Fat, Tomb of Rekhmire," it's part of the New Kingdom collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Davies was an extraordinary artist and Egyptologist, dedicated to preserving the fragile beauty of ancient Egyptian art. Her work involved painstakingly documenting tomb paintings, capturing details like the focused concentration of these cooks preparing food.

Working alongside her husband, Norman de Garis Davies, she spent decades in Egypt. Her illustrations were crucial in making these ancient scenes accessible to scholars and the public, ensuring that the stories and daily lives depicted in tombs like Rekhmire's would not be lost to time.

Through her careful hand, we can still appreciate the artistry and cultural insights of a civilization thousands of years ago. What details surprise you most in this copy?

Details

It's by Nina M. Davies, an artist who worked in ancient Egyptian tombs.

She spent decades carefully preserving these delicate scenes.

The central vessel of the scene, its size and the activity around it emphasize the importance of food preparation.

Transcript

This isn't a tomb painting, but a copy. It's by Nina M. Davies, an artist who worked in ancient Egyptian tombs. She spent decades carefully preserving these delicate scenes. Davies was one of the most important copyists in Egyptology. She meticulously recorded tomb paintings for history and study. Her work gave these ancient scenes a new life.