Nebamun Hunting in the Marshes Reproduction of a tomb painting from the 18th Dynasty tomb chapel of Nebamun. Purchase Print About the Artwork This wall painting of a marsh hunting scene was part of the decoration of a tomb chapel belonging to Nebamun, an official scribe and grain counter at the temple complex in Thebes during the 18th dynasty, around 1350 BC. Elaborately adorned with vibrant fresco paintings, the tomb's plastered walls depict idealised scenes from Nebamun's life. In this fragment, Nebamun is shown twice, hunting birds with a throwing stick and spearing fish from reed boats in the marshes of the Nile. He is accompanied by his wife Hatshepsut and their young children and surrounded by the flora and fauna of the wetlands. The intricate details and vivid colours offer a glimpse into the opulence and joy that once filled Nebamun's life, capturing a timeless moment of pleasure and abundance he wanted to last forever. This is perhaps the most iconic rendition of the 'marsh hunting’ scene within the rich tapestry of ancient Egyptian funerary art. Found on the walls of tombs and tomb chapels, these depictions connected the deceased with the afterlife, emphasised the importance of the natural world and its cycles, and demonstrated control over the chaotic forces of nature. The marshes and wetlands of the Nile were vital for Egypt's fertility, with the annual Nile floods replenishing fields with nutrient-rich silt, ensuring bountiful harvests. In art, the marshes are depicted as fish- and plant-filled waterways surrounded by lush green vegetation bursting with life. Creatures were depicted in lively, naturalistic poses which give scenes a sense of bustling movement, contrasting sharply with the still form of the hunter in the classic smiting pose, conforming to every rule of proportion and artistic order. This fresco is just one of several famous pieces of ancient Egyptian art from Nebamun’s tomb, the precise location of which has been lost. Hacked out of the walls of the tomb by unscrupulous archaeologists and antiquities dealers, the fragments of the chapel’s decoration hint at the magnificence and opulence of the original decoration. Art Ref DP005 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Object Record Object Type Wall Relief Materials Date Period Dynasty 18 Findspot Tomb-Chapel of Nebamun, Theban Necropolis Dimensions Current Location British Museum Object Number People Depicted Nebamun, Hatshepsut Deities Depicted None Animals Depicted Bird, Cat, Butterfly, Fish Themes Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

Iah-Thoth Recieving the Wadjet Eye Reproduction of a Dynasty 19 stela dedicated to the deceased spirit of Neferrenpet, a sculptor from Dier el-Medina, the workman’s village c. 1279-1213 BC. Purchase Print About the Artwork Reproduction of a Dynasty 19 stela dedicated to the deceased spirit of Neferrenpet, a sculptor from Dier el-Medina, the workman’s village c. 1279-1213 BC. The inscription praises the healing power of the god Iah-Thoth, who is shown as an ibis-headed man, riding on the solar barque through the night sky. The god is being presented with a Wadjet, or Eye of Horus, by the baboon-form of Thoth, which represents the healing power and protection of the god. Art Ref DP060 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Object Record Object Type Stela Materials Date Period Dynasty 19 Findspot Deir el-Medina Dimensions Current Location Muzeo Egizio Object Number People Depicted Huynefret, Neferrenpet Deities Depicted Iah-Thoth, Thoth (Djhutey), Eye of Horus Animals Depicted Baboon, Ibis Themes Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

Sekhet Aaru, the Field of Reeds Reproduction of a vignette from a wall painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem (TT1) in Deir el-Medina dating to Dynasty 19. Purchase Print About the Artwork This reproduction showcases a wall painting from the Tomb of Sennedjem depicting Spell 110 of the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. It describes the afterlife that awaits the deceased once they pass through the underworld. The tomb was built in the 19th Dynasty during the reigns of Seti I and Ramesses II for Sennedjem, an official who was part of the community of royal tomb builders at Deir el-Medina. The presence of an ostracon featuring the Tale of Sinuhe placed near his coffin suggests he may have been a scribe and his title ‘Servant of Hathor’ shows he was involved in the cult of the goddess Hathor. Upon the walls of Sennedjem’s barrel-roofed burial chamber are a series of brightly coloured depictions of the man’s journey through the underworld (Duat) and the trials he must face. With the support of the gods, and as a reward for a life lived well, he is given a place in Sekhet Aaru, or the Field of Reeds. Imagined as a fertile paradise fed by canals and filled with flora and fauna, Sekhet Aaru was an idealised version of the Nile landscape. When Sennedjem and his wife reached Sekhet Aaru, they were assigned land to live on by Osiris, the god of the dead. Within the depiction, the couple can be seen ploughing, seeding, and harvesting this land in their finest pleated linens and coiffed hair. The scene gives the impression that, although life in the beyond seems to be a continuation of the earthly life, it is more prosperous, peaceful and pleasant. The fields are large, the plants are tall, the harvest is plenty, and they have two sturdy oxen and fashionable clothes - their reward for honest conduct throughout earthly life. In the top register, Sennedjem can be seen harvesting tall stalks of wheat with a sickle, its notched teeth sawing into the stems of the sheaf he grasps tightly in one hand. His wife Iyneferti follows behind him, collecting the heads of grain from the floor and putting them into her mesh basket. Below, Sennedjem and Iyneferti gather bunches of green crops with ripe seeds. At the bottom, Sennedjem is ploughing the land with the help of two oxen he encourages with a flail. Iyneferti scatters seeds from a basket into the newly tilled earth. Art Ref DP114 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Object Record Object Type Wall Painting Materials Limestone, Plaster, Pigment Date c. 1250 BC Period Dynasty 19, New Kingdom Findspot Tomb of Sennedjem (TT1), Deir el-Medina Dimensions Current Location Tomb of Sennedjem (TT1), Deir el-Medina Object Number People Depicted Sennedjem, Iyneferti Deities Depicted None Animals Depicted Cow Themes Agriculture Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

The Feast of Nebamun: Music of Celebration Reproduction of a feasting scene from the tomb chapel of Nebamun in Thebes, Egypt, now on display in the British Museum. Purchase Print About the Artwork Reproduction of a feasting scene from the tomb chapel of Nebamun in Thebes, Egypt, now on display in the British Museum. It shows a group of female musicians playing instruments, singing and clapping as they perform a song for the feast-goers. Art Ref DP039 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Object Record Object Type Wall Relief Materials Date Period Dynasty 18 Findspot Tomb-Chapel of Nebamun, Theban Necropolis Dimensions Current Location British Museum Object Number People Depicted Nebamun Deities Depicted None Animals Depicted Themes Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

The Winged Goddess Maat Reproduction of a wall painting of the winged goddess Maat from the Tomb of Siptah (KV47), dating to c. 1197–1191 BC (Dynasty 19). Purchase Print About the Artwork KV47 is the burial place of pharaoh Siptah Akhenre Setepenre, who ruled c. 1197-1191 BC during Dynasty 19. As with most tombs in the Valley of the Kings, it was largely unfinished and undecorated when the king died, but the outer corridors were plastered and decorated to a high standard. This artwork, found in Corridor B of the tomb, depicts the winged goddess Maat, the divine embodiment of order, truth, justice, and balance. She is shown kneeling on a basket, her wings spread wide in a gesture of divine protection around the royal cartouches of Siptah, flanked by the shen ring, a symbol of eternity and unending protection. This composition is rich in both symbolism and language. The image of Maat is not only a religious figure but also a hieroglyphic representation of her own name. In ancient Egyptian writing, the name Maat was spelled using a combination of symbols: the ostrich feather she wears on her head (the primary symbol of the concept), a seated or kneeling woman (indicating a goddess), and often a basket beneath her, which is the hieroglyph “nb,” meaning “all” or “lord.” When shown together, as in this artwork, these elements function both as a depiction of the goddess and as a hieroglyphic spelling of her name. It is a striking example of how ancient Egyptian art and writing were deeply intertwined, blending image, word, and meaning into a single sacred form. Maat was essential to the Egyptian worldview: her presence upheld the stability of the universe and society, while her absence brought isfet - chaos, injustice, and imbalance. She also played a central role in the afterlife, where the heart of the deceased was weighed against her feather in the judgment of the soul. This image, then, does more than adorn the tomb: it invokes Maat’s power to protect the king’s name, affirm his moral worth, and preserve cosmic order into eternity. Art Ref DP117 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Object Record Object Type Wall Painting Materials Limestone, Pigment, Plaster Date c. 1197–1191 BC Period Dynasty 19, New Kingdom Findspot Tomb of Siptah (KV47), Valley of the Kings, Thebes Dimensions Current Location Tomb of Siptah (KV47), Valley of the Kings, Thebes Object Number People Depicted None Deities Depicted Maat Animals Depicted None Themes Deities Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

The Sculptors' Craft Workshop Reproduction and partial reconstruction of a wall painting showing a bustling craft workshop from the tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky dating to Dynasty 18. Purchase Print About the Artwork This reproduction depicts a bustling ancient Egyptian workshop from the shared tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky in Thebes, dating to the 18th Dynasty (c. 1390–1349 BC). The two men worked at Djeseret Iset, the Small Temple of Medinet Habu, and were trained in sculpting and engraving. They rose to the ranks of ‘Chief Sculptor in the Sacred Place’ and ‘Supervisor of the Balance’, overseeing the craft workshops. The scene illustrates artisans engaged in woodworking, metalworking, and jewellery-making under the supervision of the Chief Sculptor. It provides a wealth of information about the tools and manufacturing techniques used by the ancient craftsmen, which can be used to help interpret archaeological finds. The Chief Sculptor (Left) The largest figure, and therefore the most important, represents either Nebamun or Ipuky (he is unnamed to symbolise both men). Dressed in fine garments, he sits on an elaborate chair, inspecting the craftsmen’s handiwork, which is presented in woven baskets. The Woodworkers (Top Register) Craftsmen construct a catafalque, a platform for transporting the deceased’s mummy to the necropolis. They carve djed pillars and tyet knots into the structure, ensuring divine protection for the journey. The Goldworkers (Middle Register) Artisans skilfully shape gold and precious stones into vessels, statues, and intricate jewellery, demonstrating the workshop’s expertise in luxury craftsmanship. The Metalworkers (Bottom Register) Specialists weigh raw materials, smelt metals, and engrave objects. Their work includes polishing and refining materials to create fine finished products. The Specialist Craftsmen (Bottom Register) Three artisans focus on working with stone and glass, drilling beads, carving stone vases, and threading jewellery, highlighting the variety of skills present in the workshop. Art Ref DP075 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Object Record Object Type Wall Relief Materials Date Period Dynasty 18 Findspot Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky (TT181), Sheikh Abd el-Qurna Dimensions Current Location Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky (TT181), Valley of the Nobles Object Number People Depicted Nebamun, Ipuky Deities Depicted None Animals Depicted Themes Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

Offering Stela of Neskhons Reproduction of the painted wooden funerary stela of Neskhons, wife of the High Priest of Amun, Pinedjem II, dating to c. 965 BC (Dynasty 21). Purchase Print About the Artwork The Offering Stela of Neskhons is a remarkable example of 21st Dynasty funerary art, dating to approximately 965 BC. This painted wooden stela depicts Neskhons, the wife of the High Priest of Amun, Pinedjem II, presenting offerings to the god Osiris. The scene symbolises her desire to gain Osiris’ protection and secure a favourable place in the afterlife. Funerary stelae served as symbolic gateways between the realms of the living and the dead. These artefacts were designed to facilitate communication with the gods, ensuring the deceased's safe passage and ongoing protection in the afterlife. Often placed in tomb chapels or other sacred spaces, they provided a focal point for family members or priests to recite prayers and perform rituals, actions believed to sustain and strengthen the deceased’s presence in the afterlife. Neskhons’ stela depicts a richly laden offering table with bread, birds, meat, and flowers, essential provisions for her ka (spiritual essence). These offerings symbolised the nourishment she required in the afterlife and reinforced the belief that sustenance could be perpetually supplied, either through physical offerings made by her family or symbolically through the stela’s imagery. Translation Seven vertical columns of hieroglyphs above the scene identify the god as Osiris with epithets and Neskhons as: “The Osiris the great head of the first troupe of Amun-Ra king of the gods, the god's servant of Khnum lord of the First Cataract, king's son of Kush, overseer of the southern hill-lands, god's servant of the Lady of Offerings of Serudet, head of noblewomen Neskhons, true of voice.” Art Ref DP115 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Object Record Object Type Stela Materials Wood Date c. 1070–945 BC Period Dynasty 21, Third Intermediate Period Findspot Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology Dimensions Height 39.5 cm Current Location Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology Object Number UC14226 People Depicted Neskhons Deities Depicted Osiris Animals Depicted None Themes Deities, Offerings Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

Khepri and Thoth’s Sacred Baboons Reproduction of a relief panel of a sacred scene rich in solar and lunar symbolism dating to approximately 380–343 BC, during the Late Period–early Ptolemaic era. Purchase Print About the Artwork This ancient Egyptian relief panel presents a sacred scene rich in solar and lunar symbolism. At its centre is Khepri, the scarab beetle deity associated with the rising sun, transformation, and rebirth. Flanking him are two baboons, creatures sacred to the god Thoth, who offer Wadjet eyes in an act of devotion and restoration. The depiction of the baboons with fanned fingertips is characteristic of 30th Dynasty art, allowing us to date this relief to approximately 380–343 BC, during the Late Period–early Ptolemaic era. At the heart of the composition, Khepri is shown holding a star within a circular disk, a symbol of the Duat—the underworld and the realm of transformation before rebirth. In ancient Egyptian cosmology, the scarab beetle was seen as a manifestation of the sun as it emerged each morning from the darkness of the netherworld. Beneath Khepri, a large sun disk emits cascading rays, reinforcing the theme of divine renewal and cosmic order. The two baboons, commonly depicted in ancient Egyptian art as heralds of the dawn, are directly linked to Thoth, the god of wisdom, writing, and time. Their presentation of the Wadjet (Eye of Horus) to Khepri suggests an act of restoration, aligning with Thoth’s role in healing and maintaining divine balance. The Wadjet itself symbolises protection, health, and completeness, reinforcing the theme of cosmic stability. Each baboon wears a shen ring atop its head, a hieroglyphic symbol of eternity, which may also serve as a stylised representation of the lunar disk and crescent often associated with Thoth’s sacred baboons. This connection to the moon further ties the imagery to the cyclical nature of time and celestial balance, as Thoth governed both lunar and solar aspects of ancient Egyptian cosmology. Art Ref DP041 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Object Record Object Type Wall Relief Materials Date Period Dynasty 30 Findspot Unprovenanced Dimensions Current Location Metropolitan Museum of Art Object Number People Depicted Deities Depicted Khepri, Thoth (Djhutey), Eye of Horus Animals Depicted Baboon, Beetle Themes Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

The Feast of Nebamun: Singing in Celebration Reproduction of a feasting scene from the tomb chapel of Nebamun in Thebes, Egypt, now on display in the British Museum. Purchase Print About the Artwork Reproduction of a feasting scene from the tomb chapel of Nebamun in Thebes, Egypt, now on display in the British Museum. It shows a group of female musicians playing instruments, singing and clapping as they perform a song for the feast-goers. Art Ref DP038 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Greeting Card Object Record Object Type Wall Relief Materials Date Period Dynasty 18 Findspot Tomb-Chapel of Nebamun, Theban Necropolis Dimensions Current Location British Museum Object Number People Depicted Nebamun Deities Depicted None Animals Depicted Themes Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

Userhat Beneath the Sycamore Tree Adapted reproduction of a painting from the Tomb of Userhat in Thebes, Egypt dating to c. 1270 BC. Purchase Print About the Artwork Adapted reproduction of a painting from the Tomb of Userhat in Thebes, Egypt dating to c. 1270 BC. In this scene, the deceased Userhat sits with his wife and mother in the shade of a colourful sycamore tree and drinks from three golden vessels. Before them is a table laden with offerings of fruit, vegetables and flowers, whilst their souls in the form of Ba-birds fly above their heads. Art Ref DP057b Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Greeting Card Object Record Object Type Wall Relief Materials Date Period Dynasty 19 Findspot Tomb of Userhat (TT56), Thebes, Theban Necropolis Dimensions Current Location Tomb of Userhat (TT51) Object Number People Depicted Userhat, Hatshepsut, Tausret Deities Depicted None Animals Depicted Bird Themes Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

Anubis Guarding the Tomb of Pashedu Reproduction of a tomb painting from the Tomb of Pashedu in the worker's village of Deir el-Medina. Purchase Print About the Artwork Reproduction of a tomb painting from the Tomb of Pashedu in the worker's village of Deir el-Medina. The corridor to the burial chamber is guarded by a large painting on either wall of the god Anubis in the form of a black jackal, sitting alert on a shrine with cavetto cornices. Since the first dynasty of Egypt’s history in c. 3100 BC, Anubis was being depicted as a protector of graves Art Ref DP073 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Greeting Card Object Record Object Type Wall Relief Materials Date Period Dynasty 19 Findspot Tomb of Pashedu (TT3), Deir el-Medina Dimensions Current Location Tomb of Pashedu (TT3), Deir el-Medina Object Number People Depicted Pashedu Deities Depicted Anubis Animals Depicted Jackal Themes Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.

Hathor and Opet (Spell 186, Book of the Dead) Reproduction of an illustration of Chapter 186 of the Book of the Dead buried with the Royal Scribe Ani c. 1250 BC. Purchase Print About the Artwork Reproduction of an illustration of Chapter 186 of the Book of the Dead buried with the Royal Scribe Ani c. 1250 BC. It shows two protective goddesses welcoming Ani to his final resting place, a white pyramidion-topped private tomb nestled within the pink cliffs of the Theban desert. The goddess Hathor can be seen in her cow form emerging from a thicket of papyrus and is joined by the benign hippopotamus goddess Opet. Art Ref DP052 Read My Article Available to purchase as Giclée Print Object Record Object Type Papyrus Materials Date Period Dynasty 19 Findspot Theban Necropolis Dimensions Current Location British Museum Object Number People Depicted Ani, Tutu Deities Depicted Hathor, Opet Animals Depicted Cow, Hippo Themes Love ancient Egypt? So do I. Sign up to be the first to hear about new artwork, behind-the-scenes insights, special offers, and the fascinating stories behind the pieces. Email* Subscribe I want to subscribe to your mailing list.