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Catching Birds With a Clap-Net

My reproduction of a wall relief from the Tomb of Neferiretnes, later usurped by Raemkai, dating to the 5th Dynasty (c. 2446–2389 BC).

About the Artwork

My reproduction focuses on the bottom register of the west wall, which 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 to alert 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, 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, linking 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.

Art Ref

DP121

Available to purchase as

DP01C - The Goddess Hathor and Seti Scene 3.jpg

Giclée Print

DP01C - The Goddess Hathor and Seti Scene 3.jpg

Object Record

Object Type

Wall Relief

Materials

Limestone

Date

c. 2446–2389 BC

Period

Dynasty 05, Old Kingdom

Findspot

Saqqara Necropolis

Dimensions

Current Location

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Object Number

08.201.1d

People Depicted

Unnamed

Deities Depicted

None

Animals Depicted

Bird, Heron, Duck, Goose

Themes

Offerings, Hunting

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