Ceiling on the North Side of the Transverse Hall of Nakht's Offering Chapel
1908–1910; original ca. 1410–1370 B.C.
Medium
Tempera on paper
Dimensions
Framed: L. 141.6 cm (55 3/4 in.); w. 179.1 cm (70 1/2 in.); th. 3.2 cm (1 1/4 in.) Scale: 1:1
Classification
Facsimile, Nakht (TT 52), ceiling
Period
Twentieth Century; original New Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1915
Accession Number
15.5.19g
Art Historical Context
This stunning facsimile captures the vibrant ceiling from the north side of the Transverse Hall in offering chapel of Nakht's tomb (TT52) in Luxor's Theban necropolis. Dating to Egypt's New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (ca. 1410–1370 B.C.), the original artwork adorned the tomb of Nakht, a-ranking scribe and astronomer who served under pharaohs like Thutm IV. Such ceilings in elite tombs often featured intricate patterns symbolizing the eternal sky, protecting the deceased's spirit in the afterlife and reflecting ancient Egyptian beliefs in cosmic order and divine protection. Created between 1908 and ...
About the Artist
Norman de Garis Davies · 1865–1941
Norman de Garis Davies (1865–1941) was a British Egyptologist and archaeological artist whose meticulous copies of ancient Egyptian tomb paintings constitute one of the most important records of pharaonic art ever made. Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, he originally trained for the ministry before being drawn into Egyptology through his involvement with the Egypt Exploration Fund in the 1890...