Artwork
Barbering, Tomb of Userhat
Barbering, Tomb of Userhat is an unspecified painting by Nina M. Davies. It dates from 1427 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nina M.
About this work
Overview
Nina M. Davies, an early‑20th‑century Egyptologist and illustrator, produced the work titled *Barbering, Tomb of Userhat* in 1427. The piece records a scene from the burial chamber of the official Userhat, showing a barber at work. It is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection and exemplifies the scholarly copying practice of the Davies duo.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a domestic activity—hair cutting—within a funerary setting, suggesting the importance of personal grooming in the afterlife. A single figure holds a bowl, another grips a cutting implement, while surrounding individuals sit or crouch, implying a communal service performed for the deceased.
Technique & Style
Rendered with flat, unmodulated red lines against a light background, the figures are stylized and rigid, reflecting the conventions of ancient Egyptian wall painting. The lack of shading, the uniform treatment of hair and clothing, and the central bare tree that bisects the scene all echo the formal visual language of the period.
History & Provenance
Davies and her husband Norman de Garis Davies were renowned for copying tomb decorations and publishing them under the collective name N. de Garis Davies. Their meticulous reproductions, including this 1427 rendering, entered museum collections in the early 20th century, eventually becoming part of the Met’s holdings.
Context
The original tomb scene would have been part of Userhat’s mortuary chapel, where everyday activities were depicted to ensure their continuation after death. Barbering, a routine yet essential service, was thus immortalized alongside other daily tasks in Egyptian funerary 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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