Drilling a Stone Vase, Tomb of Rekhmire
ca. 1504–1425 B.C.
Medium
Paper, tempera paint, ink
Dimensions
facsimile: h. 26.5 cm (10 7/16 in); w. 23.5 cm (9 1/4 in), scale 1:1, framed: h. 29.2 cm (11 1/2 in); w. 26.7 cm (10 1/2 in)
Classification
Facsimile, Rekhmire (TT 100), drilling stone
Period
New Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1931
Accession Number
31.6.13
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling workshops of ancient Egypt with *Drilling a Stone V, Tomb of Rekhm*, a vivid facsimile capturing a scene from the New Kingdom tomb Rekhmire (ca. 1504–1425 B.C.), a powerful vizier under pharaohs Thutmose III and Amenep II. This Eighteenth Dynasty artwork depicts skilled artisans at work, meticulously drilling a stone vase using a drill—a clever tool powered by a bowstring wrapped around a drill bit, demonstrating the precision craftsmanship that produced Egypt's iconic luxury vessels. Created by Nina de Garis Davies in the early 20th century, this 1:1 scale watercolor f...
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...