The Ancient Egyptian noble Sennefer was "Mayor of the City" (i.e. Thebes) and
"Overseer of the Granaries and Fields, Gardens and Cattle of Amun" during the
reign of Amenhotep II of the 18th dynasty. Being a favourite of the king he
accumulated great wealth. He was also allowed to place a double statue of
himself and his wife in the temple at Karnak. The famous garden plan, often
described is Sennefer's Garden, is more likely to be of a garden which
Sennefer managed, and perhaps designed, than to be of a garden which Sennefer
owned.
He was buried in a small but well decorated tomb (TT96, sometimes known as the
"Tomb of the Vineyards" due to its decoration), located in the Sheikh Abd
el-Qurna district of the Theban Necropolis opposite Luxor in Egypt.
However, some funerary items for Sennefer and his family have been found in
KV42, the tomb of Merytre-Hatshepsut, so he may have re-used this tomb for his
actual burial. Some containers of Sennefer and Sentnay were also discovered in
KV32, the tomb of Queen Tiaa, wife of Amenhotep II and mother of Thutmose IV.
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Entrance to the Sennefer Tomb.
The Theban Tomb TT96 (sometimes known as the "Tomb of the Vineyards" due
to its decoration) is located in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna.
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It forms part of the Theban Necropolis, situated on the west bank of
the Nile opposite Luxor.
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The edifice is the burial place of the ancient Egyptian noble,
Sennefer and wife Meryt.
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Wall paintings
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Sennefer with his daughter Muttuy.
Seated on a chair with a high back-rest, Sennefer wears a short white
kilt, but this time the semi-transparent overgarment includes a vest
which also covers the upper parts of his arms giving a pink tone to his
dark skin.
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He only has upper arm bands, no wrist bands. With his broad gold
necklace the double heart amulet appears to be only of silver, but
this could have been an error of the artist.
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He holds the long staff on his left hand and the sekhem-sceptre in his
right.
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Behind Sennefer stands his daughter, named as Muttuy, in a tight white
dress with shoulder straps. She wears a long black wig and a broad
blue necklace.
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She embraces him by placing her left arm on his shoulder whilst
holding his right upper arm.
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Immediately facing Sennefer, the two registers of porters both start
with a pile of already delivered goods.
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Photograph by Leo Wehrli, distributed under a CC-BY 4.0 license.
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Purification by a sem-priest.
The officiant performs the purification of Sennefer and Meryt. This
purification symbolises the beginning of the ritual ceremony of the
"Opening of the Mouth".
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He is clothed in the panther skin of the sem-priest, worn over a white
kilt.
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Holding a nemset vessel in his hands, from which escapes a
stream of water which flows over Sennefer and his wife.
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He invokes in turn: Horus, god of the south, Seth, god of the north,
Thoth, god of the west, and Sepa, god of the east.
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Sennefer wears the double heart amulet. He is holding a bound
lotus-blossom bouquet in his left hand and his long staff of office in
the other.
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Meryt is wearing her slim-fitting white dress, but for the first time
it can be seen to be low cut with a single (although possibly two)
shoulder strap, revealing her breast. She holds her sistrum and
possibly a lettuce in her left hand and a menit-necklace in the other.
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Photograph by Leo Wehrli, distributed under a CC-BY 4.0 license.
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Sennefer and Meryt by the Ished tree.
The deceased is seated on a chair in the Ished tree, with Meryt kneeling
at his side, on a small mat, which rests on the larger one on which
Sennefer's chair is placed, with her arms wrapped around his legs.
- The tree is a symbol guaranteeing eternal life.
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Sennefer is once again fully clothed, wearing his golden jewelry,
which includes an earring. For the first time on this pillar he wears
his double heart amulet. In his left hand he holds the now familiar
blossom to his nose, whilst in his right hand he holds his
sekhem-sceptre.
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In front of the couple is a table, on top of which are three tall
vessels, around which spiral lotus flowers in bud.
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Above them is laid a bunch of three flowers, two in bud and one in
bloom.
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Photograph by Leo Wehrli, distributed under a CC-BY 4.0 license.
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The Ceiling.
The ceiling is decorated with the spreading the branches of a grapevine
laden with fruit.
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The extremely uneven ceiling actually curves down onto the walls, the
vines and fruit extending to their upper portion.
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With the rounded wall corners and the down-curve of the ceiling, the
total decoration seems to flow from one to the other.
- Photograph by kudumomo, distributed under a CC-BY 2.0 license.
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Ceiling detail.
Wine is closely associated with the god Osiris, as "lord of Drunkenness
at the Wag-Festival", the festival celebrated at the time of the grape
harvest.
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In the main burial chamber beyond, bunches of grapes can even be seen
hanging inside the Osiris shrine on the western end of the north wall.
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The link between Sennefer's responsibility for the garden of Amun,
with its central vineyard, can now be appreciated.
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Leaving Sennefer Tomb
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The Ramesseum seen from the Tombs of the Nobles.
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See also
Sources
Location
