
About the Artwork
Reproduction of a wall painting of the noblewoman Tjepu from the Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky (TT181), dating to c. 1390–1353 BC (Dynasty 18).
Tjepu is shown standing with one hand raised in a gesture of reverence and the other holding a menat necklace, a ceremonial object linked to the goddess Hathor. She wears a sheer, fringed linen dress, a broad collar, and jewellery typical of elite women of the time. Her heavy wig is crowned with a garland of flowers and a perfumed cone, which together signal both ritual and status. Though she was likely around forty when this image was painted, Tjepu is shown as eternally youthful, in line with Egyptian ideals of the afterlife.
Art Ref
DP120
Object Record
Object Type
Wall Painting
Materials
Limestone, Gesso, Pigment
Date
c. 1390–1353 BC
Period
Dynasty 18
Findspot
Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky (TT181), Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Thebes
Dimensions
37.6 x 24 cm
Current Location
Brooklyn Museum
Object Number
65.197
People Depicted
Tjepu
Deities Depicted
None
Animals Depicted
None
Themes
Portrait