Craftsmen, Tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky

Art Historical Context

This facsimile by Egyptologist and artist Norman de Garis Davies reproduces a lively scene from the tomb of Nebamun and Ipuky, two officials who served during Egypt’s New Kingdom, Dynasty 18 (ca. 1390–1349 B.C.). Painted in tempera on paper at a precise 1:1 scale, the copy preserves the original wall painting’s composition and colors, allowing modern audiences to study the artwork without traveling to the Theban necropolis. The scene shows craftsmen at work, their tools and gestures rendered with the careful observation typical of New Kingdom tomb decoration. Such images were not merely decorative; they were intended to magically provide for the deceased in the afterlife while celebrating the skilled labor that sustained Egyptian society. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum through the Rogers Fund in 1930, Davies’ facsimile remains an invaluable record. It highlights both the technical mastery of ancient painters and the important role of early 20th-century copyists in documenting Egypt’s cultural heritage.

About the Artist

Norman de Garis Davies · 1865–1941

Norman de Garis Davies (1865–1941) was a British Egyptologist and archaeological artist whose meticulous copies of ancient Egyptian tomb paintings constitute one of the most important records of pharaonic art ever made. Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, he originally trained for the ministry before being drawn into Egyptology through his involvement with the Egypt Exploration Fund in the 1890...