Pounding Meal, Tomb of Rekhmire

Art Historical Context

Step into the vibrant world of ancient Egypt with *Pounding Meal, Tomb Rekhmire*, a meticulous 1:1 scale facsimile created by Nina de Garis Davies. This scene captures men diligently working to prepare food—likely pounding grain into meal—in the tomb of Rekhmire, a powerful vizier who served under pharaohs Thutmose III and Amenhotep II during Egypt's New Kingdom (ca. 1504–1425 B.C.), Dynasty 18. Dating to the height of Egypt's imperial power, such tomb paintings from Thebes' necropolis immortalized everyday labors to magically sustain the deceased in the afterlife. Rendered in tempera paint and ink on paper, Davies' early 20th-century copy preserves the original's flat, iconic style: bold profiles, hierarchical scale, and vivid colors that emphasize function over realism. These wall scenes from Rekhmire's grand tomb (TT100) offer rare glimpses into ancient Egyptian society, showcasing organized labor, food production, and the ideal of eternal productivity. Acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Rogers Fund in 1931, it highlights how modern scholars like Davies bridged eras, making Egypt's cultural heritage accessible today. This artwork reminds us of Egypt's reverence for sustenance and work, turning mundane tasks into timeless rituals of abundance.

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...