My Reproduction of a Wall Relief from the Tomb of Neferiretnes

My reproduction of a wall relief from the Tomb of Neferiretnes, later usurped by Raemkai, dates back to the 5th Dynasty (c. 2446–2389 BC). It forms part of a larger composition surrounding the tomb’s False Door. This relief depicts a group of men catching birds in the Nile marshes using a clap-net. Their catch is then presented as an offering to the tomb owner, intended to provide eternal sustenance in the afterlife.

Reproduction Details

Type: Wall relief

Material: Limestone, paint

Date: c. 2446–2389 BC

Period: Dynasty 5, Old Kingdom

Findspot: Tomb of Neferiretnes/Raemkai, Saqqara

Current Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Object Number: 08.201.1d

Art Ref: DP121 "Catching Birds With a Clap-Net"

The Tomb of Neferiretnes / Raemkai

This tomb was originally built for the judge and scribe inspector Neferiretnes during the later Old Kingdom under King Niuserre. It was later briefly usurped by a royal prince named Raemkai. While Raemkai attempted to overwrite Neferiretnes' name on the tomb’s False Door, the changes were crudely done and left incomplete. This suggests a short-lived and possibly unauthorized takeover.

The tomb is part of a cluster of mastabas north of the Djoser complex at Saqqara. It was excavated by Auguste Mariette in the 1850s-60s and again by James Quibell in the 1900s. Its exceptionally fine Old Kingdom reliefs depict daily life and offerings, making it a target for collectors. It was dismantled and sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1908. Despite early sketches made by Egyptologists, the tomb’s precise original location was never recorded.

The tomb is now on display in Gallery 102 at The Met Fifth Avenue in New York.

The False Door

False Door and West Wall. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 08.201.1e and 08.201.1d

The tomb chapel was oriented on a north–south axis, with the False Door set into the west wall. This alignment symbolically corresponds to the direction of the afterlife in ancient Egyptian belief. This architectural feature served as a spiritual portal through which the tomb owner's ka (vital spirit) could receive offerings.

The decoration surrounding the False Door consists of a sequence of carefully arranged registers. These depict idealised scenes of provisioning and ritual, consistent with Old Kingdom funerary traditions:

The tomb owner is shown on a larger scale than everyone else and seated on a lion-legged chair, receiving offerings. This image emphasises his elite status and participation in the ongoing cycle of funerary rites.

Attendants approach carrying goods and offering tables piled with bread, fruit, meat, and drink. These processions represent the eternal delivery of sustenance to the deceased.

Groups of men are butchering cows and preparing joints of meat for the offering platters of the attendants. These scenes reflect the practical aspects of provisioning the tomb.

A team of men are catching birds in the Nile marshes, again to provide meat for the offerings, in a scene rich in symbolic references to regeneration and natural abundance.

Fowling with Clap-Net

My reproduction focuses on the bottom register of the west wall. It shows a dynamic scene of bird-catching using a traditional clap-net. The activity is controlled by the signalman, who is stationed close to where the trap has been set. He alerts the team when it is time to pull. Since shouting would disturb the birds, the signalman raises a stretched piece of cloth to give the order to haul in the net.

Five naked men work in unison, pulling ropes to close a large net set within a stylised marsh pool. The net is already full of herons, ducks, and geese trapped among floating lotus blossoms and buds. Their nudity, an uncommon feature in tomb reliefs, likely underscores the physical labour involved and their immersion in the watery environment. It may also reflect an idealised portrayal of rural, productive life.

The setting is highly stylised. Vertical strokes represent a dense barrier of papyrus and reeds, enclosing the scene in a visual framework reminiscent of a cartouche. While abstract in form, this depiction refers to the Nile marshlands. This area is a liminal space in ancient Egyptian cosmology associated with fertility, creation, and rebirth. For the deceased, such scenes were not merely decorative but functioned as magical representations, ensuring ongoing provision in the afterlife.

A sixth figure at the far left carries several birds by the wings and walks toward the False Door. This links the marshland activity directly to the offering rituals of the tomb. His inclusion bridges the practical with the sacred, transforming the act of fowling into a ritualised act of eternal offering.

The Importance of Bird Catching in Ancient Egypt

Bird catching played a significant role in ancient Egyptian culture. It was not only a source of food but also a symbol of abundance and fertility. The act of catching birds was often depicted in tomb art, reflecting its importance in daily life and religious practices.

Symbolism of Birds

Birds held deep symbolic meanings in ancient Egypt. They were often associated with the soul and the afterlife. The presence of birds in tomb reliefs served to ensure the deceased's sustenance in the afterlife. This connection between the living and the dead was crucial in ancient Egyptian belief systems.

Techniques Used in Bird Catching

The methods used for bird catching varied. The clap-net technique depicted in the relief is one of the most traditional. It required skill and teamwork, showcasing the community aspect of this activity. Other methods included traps and nets, which were strategically placed in areas where birds were known to gather.

The Role of the Nile in Bird Catching

The Nile River was vital for bird catching. Its marshlands provided a rich habitat for various bird species. The annual flooding of the Nile created ideal conditions for birds to thrive. This abundance was essential for the sustenance of both the living and the deceased.

Further Information

Baud, Michel 1997. "Aux pieds de Djoser: Les mastabas entre fossé et enceinte de la partie nord du complex funéraire." In Études sur l'Ancien Empire et la nécropole de Saqqâra dédiées à Jean-Philippe Lauer, pp. 69-87.

Fischer, Henry G. 1995. "The Protodynastic Period and Old Kingdom in the Metropolitan Museum of Art." In Kunst des Alten Reiches: Symposium im Deutschen Archäologischen Institut Kairo am 29. und 30. Oktober 1991, p. 81, n. 1.

Hayes, William C. 1946. "Egyptian Tomb Reliefs of the Old Kingdom." In The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 4, no. 7 (March), pp. 174–75.

Lythgoe, Albert M. 1908. "Recent Egyptian Acquisitions." In The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, vol. 3, no. 12 (December), p. 221.

Mariette, Auguste 1889. "Les Mastabas de l'Ancien Empire: Fragment [de son] Dernier Ouvrage". Paris: F. Vieweg, pp. 178–81, no. D3.

Porter, Bertha and Rosalind L.B. Moss 1978. "Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings: Memphis.Saqqara to Dahshur, vol. 3, part 2.1." Oxford, pp. 487-488 (sketch plan).

Quibell, James E. 1909. "Excavations at Saqqara 1907-1908, 3". Cairo: Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale du Caire, p. 24, no. 903.

Smith, W. Stevenson 1946. "History of Egyptian Sculpture and Painting in the Old Kingdom." Boston and Oxford, pp. 194, 195, 201, 241, 247, 285.