Artwork
Gathering Honey, Tomb of Rekhmire
Gathering Honey, Tomb of Rekhmire is an unspecified painting by Nina M. Davies. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nina M.
About this work
Overview
Nina M. Davies, an Egyptologist and illustrator active in the early‑to‑mid‑20th century, produced a copy of a wall scene from the tomb of the official Rekhmire. The drawing, titled *Gathering Honey, Tomb of Rekhmire*, records a domestic activity rendered in the tomb’s original palette of earthy reds, browns, and muted whites, outlined in black.
Subject & Meaning
The composition shows two figures engaged in the collection of honey. A kneeling man holds a bowl beneath a flickering flame, while a second figure reaches toward a tray bearing round containers, suggesting the preparation and storage of the sweet substance.
Technique & Style
Davies employed a careful, flat rendering that mirrors the original Egyptian wall painting’s emphasis on solid color fields and clear outlines. The drawing reproduces the tomb’s characteristic linear precision and limited tonal range, preserving the simplicity of the ancient visual language.
History & Provenance
The work forms part of the extensive collaborative output of Nina and her husband Norman de Garis Davies, who together documented numerous Theban tombs. Their copies, often issued under the collective name N. de Garis Davies, have served as vital records for scholars, especially where the original wall paintings have deteriorated.
Context
Rekhmire was a high‑ranking official during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III, and his tomb includes scenes of daily life intended to ensure a prosperous afterlife. The honey‑gathering episode reflects the importance of food production and ritual offerings in elite Egyptian funerary ideology.
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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