Artwork

Gifts from Western Asia, Tomb of Rekhmire

Gifts from Western Asia, Tomb of Rekhmire, by Nina M. Davies, unspecified, 1504
Gifts from Western Asia, Tomb of Rekhmire, by Nina M. Davies, unspecified, 1504

Gifts from Western Asia, 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

Overview

This painting, *Gifts from Western Asia, Tomb of Rekhmire*, is a facsimile of an ancient Egyptian tomb scene, created as part of a documentary project to preserve and study Egyptian art of the 18th Dynasty.

Subject & Meaning

The scene depicts a room filled with various objects, likely representing gifts from Western Asia, including a sailed boat, stacked bowls on a table, unusual lamps, and storage containers, set against a backdrop of tiled floor and adorned walls.

Technique & Style

Executed in a restrained color palette of earthy browns, blues, and yellows, the painting features simple, flat forms and lines, characteristic of both the original ancient Egyptian artwork and the documentary facsimile style of Nina M. Davies.

History & Provenance

Created by Nina M. Davies in the early to mid-twentieth century, this work is part of a collaborative effort with her husband, Norman de Garis Davies, to document tomb paintings in Egypt, specifically from the tomb of Rekhmire, a high-ranking official.

Context

The original tomb painting dates back to the 18th Dynasty, reflecting the cultural exchange and wealth of ancient Egypt during that period, while the facsimile itself is a product of early 20th-century archaeological and artistic documentation practices.

Legacy

As part of the Davies' comprehensive documentation, *Gifts from Western Asia, Tomb of Rekhmire* contributes to the preservation of ancient Egyptian art and the understanding of its techniques, themes, and historical context for future generations.

Artist & collection

Artist

Nina M. Davies

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…