Gifts from the Keftiu, Tomb of Rekhmire

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of ancient Egypt with *Gifts from the Keiu*, a meticulous facsimile of a wall painting from the Tomb of Rekire (TT100) in Thebes, dating to the New Kingdom's 18th Dynasty (. 1479–1425 B.C.). Rekhmire, a powerful vizier under pharaohs Thutmose III and Amenhot II, is depicted receiving luxurious tribute from the Keftiu—likely Minoan emissaries from Crete. These foreigners, rendered in distinctive Minoan attire with long hair, colorful kilts, and intricate jewelry, present ornate vessels, textiles, and metalwork, symbolizing Egypt's far-reaching trade networks and diplomatic prowess during this golden age of empire-building. Created by renowned Egyptologist and artist Nina de Garis Davies in the early 20th century, this tempera-on-paper reproduction captures the original fresco's vivid colors and precise details at a 1:1 scale (45 x 65 cm). Davies, working with her husband Norman, pioneered watercolor facsimiles to preserve fragile tomb art threatened by decay and tourism. Her technique masterfully revives the flat, symbolic style of Egyptian painting—bold outlines, profile views, and hierarchical scaling—while highlighting the exoticism of Minoan motifs, a rare glimpse of cultural exchange. Acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Rogers Fund in 1930, this piece illuminates the New Kingdom's cosmopolitanism, where eastern Mediterranean goods flowed into Egypt's royal coffers. It's a window into Rekhmire's boastful tomb program, celebrating his role in amassing wealth that fueled pharaonic glory.

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...