Cretans Bringing Gifts, Tomb of Rekhmire

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of ancient Egypt with *Cretans Bringing Gifts from the Tomb of Rekire, a meticulous 1:1 scale created by Nina de Garis Davies. Dating to the New Kingdom's 18th Dynasty (. 1479–1425 B.C.), this captures Minoan emissaries from Crete presenting luxurious tribute to Egyptian officials. Rendered on paper with tempera paint and ink it vividly recreates the tomb's original wall paintings, showcasing the Egyptians' masterful use of bold colors, hierarchical scale, and stylized figures in profile—those iconic "walk-like-an-Egyptian" poses that convey status and motion with elegant precision. Rekhmire, a powerful vizier under pharaohs Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, commissioned his Theban tomb to boast of his administrative prowess. Scenes like this highlight Egypt's diplomatic and trade networks, with Cretans offering ornate vessels, fabrics, and metals as symbols of prosperity and international alliances. Such depictions were not mere decoration but eternal records of power, blending art with propaganda in the New Kingdom tradition. Nina de Garis Davies's early 20th-century copy, acquired by The Met in 1931 via the Rogers Fund, preserves these fading frescoes for modern eyes. Measuring about 18½ × 15⅜ inches, it invites us to marvel at ancient craftsmanship while bridging cultures across millennia. (198 words)

About the Artist

Nina de Garis Davies · 1881–1965

Nina de Garis Davies, born Anna Macpherson Cummings on January 6, 1881, in Salonika, Greece, to English-Scottish parents Cecil J. Cummings and Sarah Macintosh Tannoch, showed early artistic talent as the eldest of three daughters. After her father's death in 1894, the family relocated to Scotland and then London, where she trained at the Slade School of Art. In 1906, at age 25, a holiday trip to E...