Carpenter Making a Chair, Tomb of Rekhmire

Art Historical Context

Step into ancient Egypt with *Carpenter Making a Chair* from the Tomb of Rekire, a vivid facsimile created by Nina de Garis. Dating to the New Kingdom's Dynasty 18 (ca. 1479–1400 B.C.), this originates from the elaborate tomb of Rekhmire, a powerful vizier under pharaohs Thutmose III and Amenep II in Thebes. Egyptian tomb walls like these were designed to immortalize daily life, ensuring the deceased's eternal comfort through depictions of essential trades and activities. Rendered in tempera on paper at a precise 1:1 scale, Davies's meticulous copy captures the original's flat, iconic style—characteristic of ancient Egyptian art—with figures in profile, bold outlines, and vibrant colors derived from mineral pigments. The image showcases a skilled carpenter at work, tools in hand, crafting a chair amid a workshop bustle. Such scenes highlight the sophistication of New Kingdom craftsmanship, where furniture like stools and chairs symbolized status and were often inlaid with precious materials. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian Art department (Rogers Fund, 1931), this facsimile offers modern visitors an intimate glimpse into a hierarchical society valuing artisans. It reminds us how art served both aesthetic and practical purposes: guiding the soul while celebrating human ingenuity.

About the Artist

Nina de Garis Davies · 1881–1965

Nina de Garis Davies, born Anna Macpherson Cummings on January 6, 1881, in Salonika, Greece, to English-Scottish parents Cecil J. Cummings and Sarah Macintosh Tannoch, showed early artistic talent as the eldest of three daughters. After her father's death in 1894, the family relocated to Scotland and then London, where she trained at the Slade School of Art. In 1906, at age 25, a holiday trip to E...