Nubians with a Giraffe and a Monkey, Tomb of Rekhmire

Art Historical Context

Step into the sunlit world of ancient Egypt with *Nubians with a Giraffe and a*, a meticulous facsimile from the Tomb of Rekhm (TT100) in Thebes. Dating to the New Kingdom's 18th Dynasty (. 1504–1425 B.C.), this depicts Nubian tributaries—dark-skinned figures in vibrant attire—leading an exotic giraffe and playful monkey toward the Egyptian court. Such processions highlight Egypt's vast empire, where southern neighbors offered rare animals as tribute, symbolizing prestige and the pharaoh's dominion. Rekhmire, a powerful vizier under Thutmose III and Amenhotep II, commissioned his tomb with detailed wall paintings of daily life, rituals, and international diplomacy. These flat-profile figures, rendered in bold colors and hierarchical scale, exemplify classic Egyptian tomb art, blending realism with symbolism to ensure prosperity in the afterlife. Giraffes, sourced from Nubian lands, were prized for their height and rarity, evoking the wild frontiers beyond the Nile. Created in the early 20th century by artist Nina de Garis Davies, this 1:1 scale tempera-on-paper copy preserves the original frescoes' vibrancy for modern audiences. Acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1931 through the Rogers Fund, it invites us to "walk like an Egyptian" amid these timeless tales of tribute and triumph.

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...