Artwork
Stringing and Drilling Beads, Tomb of Rekhmire
Stringing and Drilling Beads, Tomb of Rekhmire is an unspecified painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Nina M. Davies. It dates from 1504 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This wall painting, titled "Stringing and Drilling Beads," originates from the Tomb of Rekhmire, an 18th Dynasty official.
About this work
Overview
and Norman de Garis Davies, whose early to mid-twentieth-century work preserved many such tomb decorations for scholarly examination and public understanding.
This wall painting, titled "Stringing and Drilling Beads," originates from the Tomb of Rekhmire, an 18th Dynasty official. It captures a moment of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship, illustrating two individuals engaged in the intricate process of bead production. The scene was meticulously documented by the Egyptologists Nina M. and Norman de Garis Davies, whose early to mid-twentieth-century work preserved many such tomb decorations for scholarly examination and public understanding.
Subject & Meaning
The painting illustrates two artisans at work, providing insight into ancient jewelry production. One figure is seated on a low stool, manipulating a tool with a loop of dark beads. Beside him, another individual kneels, stretching a string taut between two sticks while holding a bundle of reeds or a brush. Their simple attire of kilts and sandals, along with the flat red skin tones, grounds the scene in its historical context, presenting a focused depiction of daily labor.
History & Provenance
This particular scene was recorded by the married Egyptologist team, Nina M. and Norman de Garis Davies, who were prominent illustrators in the early to mid-twentieth century. Their dedicated work involved copying and documenting numerous ancient Egyptian tomb paintings, including those from the Tomb of Rekhmire. Their meticulous drawings were crucial for scholarly research, preserving visual information from sites that might otherwise have deteriorated or been inaccessible, thus contributing significantly to the field of Egyptology.
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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