Ceiling Pattern, Tomb of Qenamun

Davies rendered the design using watercolor and ink on paper, adhering closely to the original’s color palette and linear precision. The composition is structured in a grid of squares and zigzags, with bold contrasts between red, white, and black background lines. Her technique prioritized accuracy over aesthetic embellishment, capturing the flat, rhythmic quality of ancient Egyptian ornamentation without modern interpretive flourishes.

Nina Davies produced this work during field expeditions in Egypt alongside her husband, Norman de Garis Davies, between 1900 and 1940. Though often published under his name, her contributions were central to their joint documentation project. The painting entered the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the Davies archive, where it remains a key resource for Egyptological study and conservation.

In the early 20th century, systematic recording of Egyptian tomb art was critical as many sites faced deterioration and looting. The Davieses’ method involved on-site copying, often under difficult conditions, to preserve designs before they vanished. Their work provided baseline data for later scholars, distinguishing between original iconography and later damage or restoration.

Nina Davies’s transcriptions remain vital references for Egyptologists, offering insights into the original appearance of tombs now altered by time. Though her role was historically overshadowed, recent scholarship has reaffirmed her technical skill and scholarly rigor. Her work exemplifies the quiet, essential labor behind the preservation of ancient visual culture.