Tomb of Rekhmire (TT100), Luxor

Rekhmire was an ancient Egyptian noble and official of the 18th dynasty who served as "Governor of the Town" (Thebes) and Vizier during the reigns of Thutmosis III and Amenhotep II. He was the nephew of Vizier User, who took office at the time of the fifth year of Queen Hatshepsut’s reign.

User's official titles included mayor of the city, vizier, and prince. Rekhmire is noted for constructing a lavishly decorated tomb for himself in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, part of the Theban Necropolis, containing lively, well preserved scenes of daily life during the Egyptian New Kingdom.

His tomb is also important as it contains a full copy of a text detailing the duties of the office of the vizier, known as The Installation of the Vizier.

He was also High Priest of Annu or Heliopolis. The cause of his political and personal downfall remains unclear. It is suspected that he fell into disgrace and was deposed. His tomb was Theban Tomb 100.

The Theban Tomb TT100 is located in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, part of the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the mortuary chapel of the Ancient Egyptian vizier Rekhmire. There is no burial chamber next to this chapel. The vizier's tomb is elsewhere, perhaps even in the Valley of the Kings.

Entrance to the Tombs of the Nobles. The Theban Necropolis is located on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Luxor, in Egypt. As well as the more famous royal tombs located in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, there are numerous other tombs, more commonly referred to as Tombs of the Nobles (Luxor), the burial places of some of the powerful courtiers and persons of the ancient city. See more at List of Theban tombs - Wikipedia.

Tomb of Rekhmire Plan. Plan Legend: Courtyard Entrance Passageway Offering scenes Transverse Chamber The collection of taxes from the cities of Middle Egypt Checking the temples’ workshops Supervising the work in the fields of Amun The Vizier in session The Duties of the Vizier Taxes from southern cities The genealogy of Rekhmire The autobiography of Rekhmire Rejoicing and receiving contributions Hunting in the desert Hunting and spear fishing The king under a kiosk, and The text of the installation of the Vizier Rekhmire and text of the installation of the Vizier The tribute of foreign peoples Passageway Longitudinal Chamber The return of the Vizier, and Rekhmire and the bearers of petitions Monitoring the delivery of goods into the Treasury of Amun, and Rewarding the servants and their labour The Festive Banquet The Craftsmen of Amun, and Construction and Statuary scenes The Ritual of Opening of the Mouth Ritual Processions Couples receiving offerings Couples receiving offerings False-doors and niche

Courtyard (A)

Rekhmire chose the bottom of the southern tip of Sheikh Abd el-Qurna to dig its chapel. The land was unoccupied at the time, but was quickly populated with other graves. The space available allowed the Vizier to realise a large tomb preceded by a large courtyard 19 m (62.3 ft) wide, the boundaries of which are not well defined, as was usual at the time.

Courtyard (A). The facade is quite crudely but some gaps, however, were filled with plaster. There is no decoration.

Entrance Passageway (B)

Lintel and jambs carry traditional prayers to Re-Horakhty, Amon-Ra, Thoth and Osiris.

Scene 1

Offering scenes. The lintel and jambs of the entry into the hall show offering scenes.

Transverse Chamber (C)

Once past the Entrance Passageway (B), one comes directly into the Transverse Chamber (C), which has two wings, north and south.

Scene 2

The collection of taxes from the cities of Middle Egypt. The scene is here, while that of tax collection in southern cities is located on the other side of the entrance. Here too, there is a division into five registers in which forty officials bring the produce of agriculture and livestock, as well as gold and silver.

Scene 2 detail. The contribution of the northern cities appears poorer than that of the southern cities, each northern official bringing a little over half of what his southern counterpart brings. By contrast though, only the north provides papyrus and honey; it also provides significantly more silver than gold, which has an explanation: silver, which comes from Asian countries, comes up the Nile Valley, while gold comes down from Nubia. Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Scene 3

Checking the temples’ workshops. A text describes the scenes of this section: "Rekhmire inspects various foodstuffs supplied daily to the temple; he inspects the progress of beautiful monuments he commissioned on behalf of the sovereign, the perfect god, lord of the two lands, Menkheperre - may he live forever - for the temple of Amun and other sanctuaries that are under its responsibility".

Scene 3 detail. To the left of register 2 are a series of stone statues intended to be placed in temples and pink granite sphinxes for lining processional ways. The statues show Thutmose III, accompanied in this case by the Great Royal Wife. The last two statues are unique, one because it shows the king seated with one foot upon a Nubian (and probably the other foot upon an Asian); the other because it is a sphinx with a woman's head, wearing the so-called bouffant/Hathoric wig. In register 3 (bottom) the porters face to the right (thus towards the exit and the temple) and are preceded by a person holding a censer in which burns incense. After follow six men each carrying a tray decorated with a duck head: on five trays are laid flat bread, on the last, triangular breads and cakes. Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Scene 3 detail. To the right of register 2 the departing finished products of the workshops accumulate: necklaces of gold and precious stones, incense burners, whips, helmets, fabrics, dishes and cups of gold and silver, various stone vases containing ointments (or other products?), a bed, a footboard, sticks in the form of snakes and three magic ivory wands (terminated at one end by a Sahara fox head and at the other by a leopard head). Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Scene 4

Supervising the work in the fields of Amun. The three registers are destroyed. The caption reads: "Rekhmire born to Bet, fathered by the wab-priest of Amon, Neferouben, son of the Mayor, the Vizier Aametjou, delighting in the sight of cows. Rejoicing in the farm work and observing the work of the dry season and the season of germination". The harvest occupied - at least partially - both registers. The lower register showed scenes of plowing and sowing.

Scene 5

The Vizier in session. Rekhmire was seated at the end of the wall, facing left. Above him is a short text informs us that Rekhmire is "in session to listen (cases) in the hall of the vizier" and amongst the laudatory epithets, is found "dispensing justice impartially and attentive to satisfying both parties, judging between the poor and the rich in the same way, no petitioner crying because of him".

Scene 6

The Duties of the Vizier. This long, important text (36 columns) is only found in four chapels, and only one before Rekhmire, that of his uncle Useramon (TT131); it will be repeated in that of his successor Amenemopet (TT29), in which an ostracon presenting a fragment of the text, probably intended to give indications of positioning to the painter assigned to reproduce them on the wall of the chapel, was found.

Scene 7

Taxes from southern cities. On either side of the entrance to the tomb, there are five superimposed registers, above one another, displaying processions that are bringing to the Vizier produce of the cities south and north of Thebes (regions called "The head of Upper Egypt", which reach from Elephantine to Assiut). These regions, north and south, comprise of 40 tax districts each (a total of 80). Each of the 80 district officials brings its contribution, livestock, agricultural and other products, but also frequently in rings or necklaces of gold and silver. Above each of the officials, is a legend whose title indicates, its district and its contribution in precious metals expressed in deben (1 deben = 91g) or its multiples. One of the duties of Rekhmire is to control the proper reception of these products.

Scene 7 detail. The tax collectors are placed to the right of the registers, separated from the payers by stacks of contributions. Register 1 (top): monkeys, a basket of skins (top right), two bundles of reed arrows, a bag with? Ten peculiar pieces of wood, products of the nebes tree: ten arches made of its wood, three skins filled with a fruit paste and two baskets containing cakes made with those same fruits. Register 2: more nebes tree fruit, a basket of "good agesou skins", pigeons in cages. Register 3: this time there are boxes full of textiles, gold and silver rings (these are white) and necklaces with gold beads. Register 4: the stack of objects is replaced by a balance with which precious metals are being weighed. A scribe carefully notes the results. Register 5: is in very poor condition. Davies describes bags, reed mats, cordage and ten millstone wheels made of hard red stone. Note that there are no fish, goats or pigs shown (not food of the elite) and that the only birds represented are pigeons. Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Scene 8

Genealogy of Rekhmire. This scene is dedicated to the genealogy of Rekhmire, delineated on four registers. User, uncle of Rekhmire - to whom his appointment as vizier should probably be attributed – receives the same treatment as that of his father Neferuben. The personages are divided into four groups, that of Ahmes (or Aametju, Vizier at the beginning of the reign of Thutmose III), his son, the vizier User, the father of Rekhmire, Neferuben, who was not a Vizier, and finally that of Rekhmire himself. Thus the links of a powerful family are exposed and which seems to have the upper hand upon the Vizierate. Both sons of Rekhmire playing their roles as sem-priest (and were as such mutilated by the Atonists) are at the top and bottom, Menkheperreseneb above and Amenhotep below.

Scene 9

Autobiography of Rekhmire. This scene is entirely occupied by a large inscription of 45 lines which gives the autobiography of the Vizier. This literary genre is often created in ancient Egypt out of an accumulation of clichés and laudatory phrases. But one can also find real facts in it, sometimes historically important.

Scene 10

The Ways of Horus. This had five registers, but the bottom one has disappeared. To the right was a large figure of Rekhmire which has been completely erased, surmounted by this text "Rekhmire, fathered by the wab-priest of Amon Neferouben, born to the Lady Bet. Rejoicing to see the excellent production. Receiving contributions from the Ways of Horus... the long and short-horned cattle, fish, birds, fruit, lotus flowers, plants... Delta, with contributions from the Ways of Horus".

"The Ways of Horus" was the region to the north-east, on the border with Asia, and well known for its wine.

Scene 10 detail. In register 1 (upper) servants lead a live animal of each species to the place for fattening up; only the hyena is transported dead. At the right end of the register are piled carcasses which the inevitable scribe records. Register 2 portrays the products of the Ways of Horus and the wine vintage. On the left, three men pick the grapes on a vine trellis, the grapes are then transported in baskets to the press. There, four men trample the grapes while holding onto ropes. They sing: "Recitation: O Renenutet, our mistress, give us your fruit in abundance". Recall that the Renenutet goddess is the "Lady of food". The juice that flows is collected by a servant then poured into an amphora. Further to the right the various products from the province of the Ways of Horus are stacked and are being recorded by a scribe. Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Scene 11

Hunting in the desert. The scene is accompanied by the comment: "Rekhmire travels through the desert valleys, glides between the hills and enjoys hunting desert animals".

Scene 11. We are not really in the desert, but in the dry savannah around the Nile, represented in pink. The hunting area is surrounded by nets erected on poles. The hunters took advantage of the undulations of the terrain (represented by wavy lines) to set up their apparatus. The next step is for them, with the help of their pack, to drive game into this trap where the master only has to shoot his arrows, for preference at the most prestigious animals. Hunting dogs are not forgotten and seem to fly horizontally like the arrows that pierce animals. With the lack of space, the animals are packed against each other and the whole scene gives an impression (desired) of confusion and panic. The unfortunate victims are ostriches, oryx, gazelles, ibex, wild bulls, hyenas, hares. The servants of the Vizier take care of the smaller catches, and of the beasts that they wanted to capture alive, which are shown on the upper register of the right hand section. Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Scene 12

Hunting and spear fishing. This scene, which included scenes of hunting and spear fishing, has virtually disappeared; and, according to Norman de Garis Davies, the scenes were "classic".

Scene 13

The king under a kiosk. King Tuthmosis III is seated under a Kiosk. He is identified by his name Son of Ra (Djehoutymes) in the white cartouche upon the scene, and name of Horus (Strong bull [One who appears in Thebes] carried by his Ka. The roof of the building is supported by lotus-form columns and carries the winged sun Horus the Behedite, whose name was deleted by Atonists. The Pharaoh is depicted in the form of Osiris, clad in a feather decorated tunic, wearing the atef crown and holding in his hands the crook and sceptre. Before the Kiosk stood the figure of Rekhmire which has (now) been completely erased.

The text of the installation of the Vizier. The speech, delivered by Tuthmosis III for his newly appointed Vizier, is a distillation of principles that should govern the action of this powerful figure. Pharaoh emphasises the difficulty of the job, which is not an easy sinecure. Judgments must be made according to law, without favor and petitioners must be able to freely contact the Vizier. The attention given to the public must be stressed. If the reality is sometimes far from this ideal, it had at least the merit of being in writing. An intriguing point is the absence, in both the installation and in the duties, of any reference to the criminal procedure, but perhaps it was discussed in the space (now refilled) corresponding to the "window" piercing in the front wall.

Scene 14

The Vizier. His image is completely erased. Facing left, he witnessed the tribute ceremony. Rekhmire is followed by six officials (called ‘friends’ or ‘companion’s) each carrying in his left hand a plant branch. They clear the way for the Vizier who leaves the throne room after the King's speech. Behind them was a person holding a stick who has almost completely disappeared.

Scene 15

The tribute of foreign peoples. Thutmose III, a conquering king, greatly expanded the borders of Egypt and placed the Egyptians in contact with, for them, new peoples. With their natural gift for observation, Egyptian painters reproduced these strangers on the walls of their chapels highlighting their characteristics, sometimes even to a caricature.

The parade in the chapel of Rekhmire commemorates an annual ceremony at which foreign nations' contributions are presented to Pharaoh in the presence of his Vizier who will be responsible for recording and storing them. The riches are piled in heaps which the scribes are carefully observing. Some are taxes directly levied by Egyptian officials in vassal regions, such Nubia. Others, the "inu", are real tributes since they are imposed on the vanquished Syrian-Palestinian regions: an Egyptian official assesses every year the amount of the contribution as a duty for the local Government to collect. Finally there are ‘gifts’ made by the ambassadors of Asian countries, by the Cretans or the inhabitants of the land of Punt, which are actually exchanges and require reciprocity, although the Pharaonic propaganda is careful to specify that in the ideal world of its representations, all these people are subject to the king of Egypt.

Scene 15. The tribute of foreign peoples. The sequence of compositions in the five registers show, from top to bottom, the tributes of, and ambassadors from, 1) of Punt, 2) the Aegean world, 3) Nubian peoples, 4) Syrian populations and finally in 5) Nubian and Syrian captives accompanied by women and children. Register 1 (top): Punt. Punt was never a vassal of Egypt and it is therefore presented here as sending gifts or trade items. The wealth brought consists largely of fragrant resins, essentially myrrh and incense, cones in pieces or in baskets, stacked before accounting scribes in a pyramidal heap. The two white-spotted, red obelisks are probably made of incense. A myrrh tree being carried by two men, will be for an attempted planting. The Puntites also bring gold, elephant tusks, ebony, ostrich eggs and feathers, leopard skins, giraffe tails, collars besides some live animals: cheetah, monkeys, hamadryas baboons, ibexes. The men have a dark skin tone ranging from red to black. They are dressed in a loincloth with a flap, which goes down between their legs, and has a colourful border. Register 2: Crete, the Keftiu. The Keftiu are shown, unexpectedly, with a dark red skin colour, just as one finds in Cretan painting. They have long hair with curls on the top of the skull. They wear sandals with straps, along with colourful leggings. They bring the products of their crafts, mainly vessels of gold and silver in the form of decorated with, or shaped like animals (lion, bull, ibex): jugs, drinking cups, amphorae, rhytons. They also provide the products they have obtained by trade: ingots and rings of silver, daggers, chains and pieces of lapis lazuli. These riches will be piled up at the feet of the scribes. Register 3: Countries of the South, Nubia and the Sudan. Their (tribute) bearers are of course black, have frizzy hair and are wearing little skin loincloths. Six Nubians are wearing fly pendants suspended around their necks, very different in their general shape from Egyptian fly pendants of the same time period. Nubians bring dogs, oxen with curved horns, a hamadryas baboon and vervet monkeys, one of which climbs the neck of a beautifully painted giraffe, and a feline. Then there are animal skins, giraffe tails, ostrich eggs and feathers, ebony logs, gold rings and bars, elephant tusks, ointments, red stones (amethyst?) and green (malachite?), and oil of Nubia in large white jars. Register 4 : Retenu (Syria-Palestine). All men have very fair skin and wear the same long white robe with sleeves decorated with red and blue stripes. Their hairstyles are, in contrast, all different: close cropped hair or shaved head, hair falling over the shoulders, a tousled mop of hair encircled by a ribbon. The products they bring do not suggest wealth, nor a high degree of sophistication, two characteristics which must have evolved later. The men bring a baby elephant, a bear - the brown bear disappeared from Syria in the last century -, vases, some of which are gold, a chariot and its two horses - an animal that the Egyptians had never previously drawn -, rare woods, weapons (bows, quivers, swords), some copper ingots, ivory unguent containers and two beautiful vases which seem to be made of a veined glass paste and must be among the very first imported into Egypt. Register 5: The captives of vassal countries, Nubia and Retenu. These are both prisoners and hostages. In particular, Pharaoh required the sons of the high dignitaries of the conquered countries to be sent to his court, which calmed down tendencies to revolt. Moreover, these children received an education in Egypt and could be powerful supporters after returning to their own countries. The captives are divided into two groups, preceded and followed by guards armed with clubs and throwing sticks. To the right are the Nubians, seven men and seven women. The women, wearing long red skirts, bring with them children, with the youngest in a basket on their backs. On the left advance fourteen Syrians divided into two groups in the first group, the men wear a sleeved tunic and in the second, a loincloth covered with a thin tunic. They are followed by women who have donned a white dress with a curious three-tier form over their legs and which are tied at the waist with a belt. They also are accompanied by children, one in a basket. Author of the drawing: George Alexander Hoskins (1802-1863)

Nubians with a Giraffe and a Monkey. Nubians bring dogs, oxen with curved horns, a hamadryas baboon and vervet monkeys, one of which climbs the neck of a beautifully painted giraffe. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Passageway (D)

In the door between the transverse and longitudinal rooms, the lintel of the external face bears an invocatory offering to twelve deities, those on the left representing the forms of Osiris. The six prayers on the jambs are made to Mut, Re-Atum-Horakhty, Amon, Amonet, and Osiris.

A text is written on the lintel on the internal face of the door. On this lintel are inscribed four horizontal lines of text in which Rekhmire describes his relationship to the gods.

Longitudinal Chamber (E)

The room is less than 2 m (6.5 ft) in width but 30 m (98.4 ft) in long. The vast dimensions of both north and south walls have allowed the realization of a rich and varied iconography. Each wall includes "secular" scenes in its eastern half and "religious" scenes in its western half.

Scene 16

The return of the Vizier. The top section shows the return of Rekhmire after his meeting with Amenhotep II: Pharaoh Thutmose III died around 1425 BC and his son Amenhotep II succeeded him. At that time, this tomb was not finished. The Vizier, at the announcement of the (accession) news, hurried north down the Nile to a meeting in Hout-sekhem (Diospolis Parva, about 110 km north of Luxor) with his new sovereign who returned with him back to Thebes from Memphis. This is the ‘happy return’ of the Vizier now confirmed in office and celebrated by his family as is shown here on the upper registers.

Rekhmire and the bearers of petitions. The bottom section is occupied by a scene where the Vizier receives complainants.

Scene 17

Monitoring the delivery of goods into the Treasury of Amun. Rekhmire sits to the right on a small stool; he wears the robe of his office and holds a cane and a sceptre kherep. At his feet, arranged in three sub-registers, other persons "smell the earth".

Rewarding the servants and their labour. Rekhmire is completely erased, while some traces of his assistants still remain behind him. On the left hand side, we see piled up the products that will be distributed to the women in the form of pieces of linen, packages or large bags (which may contain linen thread?) while the scribes account for all this. Men dressed in Egyptian (clothes) circulate among women to distribute these pieces of cloth (two men are now cut in half), and liquid unguents (taken from jars) or solid (in dishes). Their clothing and hairstyle distinguish Hittite from Nubian and Syrian women; some are accompanied by children, which they attend to from time to time. The register below shows an enormous accumulation of linen and clothing items that are brought to the servants by men. The third register, much damaged, included scenes of plowing and livestock activities that were preferred for prisoners of war.

Monitoring the delivery of goods into the Treasury of Amun. Rekhmire sits to the right on a small stool; he wears the robe of his office and holds a cane and a sceptre kherep. Above him there is this text: "The Vizier Rekhmire sees (the plant) uaeh and honey in the treasury of the temple and puts under seal all property given as an offering in the temple of Amun, in the area of his function as supervisor of the records". Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Pounding Meal. Two men pound the rhizomes in a hollowed tree trunk. With the caption: "Crush the rhizomes in the treasury of Amun, Lord of the thrones of the Two Lands, to make offerings aâbet at each celebration that His Majesty has established". Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Sifting Meal. The "flour" obtained by this rudimentary milling has a coarse texture, despite sieving. Moreover, it does not contain gluten and therefore must of neccessity be mixed with wheat flour or barley for making bread or cakes. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Preparing Dough. Two men prepare the dough in a container on a tripod, one stirs the preparation using a spatula, the other pours an unknown liquid (fat, honey?). Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Preparing and Cooking Cakes. Then we see several men shaping the dough in the form of cones on a plate of stone or wood. Note that there is no mould for the bread and the oven is only shown as extinguished. The cakes are baked upon a sort of skillet on a brazier made of bricks. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Cooking Cakes with Fat. The cakes are baked upon a sort of skillet on a brazier made of bricks. As the inscription says, fat is added to the stove: "Add the fat and cook the cakes Sat". Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Man Carrying Loaves. We see the result as oval or triangular cakes, red with yellow edges which a man carries with a yoke and panniers instead of a basket. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Gathering Honey. Honey and dates were the main sweeteners in ancient Egypt. However, beekeeping scenes are rarely represented, although well known since the Old Kingdom. A kneeling man is working to remove the honeycombs that he stacks up on two dishes, while his assistant smokes the bees. One bowl contains white beeswax. On the left, two men seal large jars undoubtedly full of liquid honey, while two others are busy around very much broader red dishes, one covering the other, sealed with wax. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Transport of goods into a Treasury storehouse. These consist mostly of amphorae and jars containing wine and oil - two northern products - which have been transported. The porters are longshoremen who unloaded the supply ships; many are dressed in a leather loincloth, a mark of the lower social strata. Two men, bending under the load, carry with a pole a large jar enclosed in a net. Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Scene 18

The Festive Banquet. Two representations of the couple, Vizier and wife, occupy the entire height of the wall on the left, while on the right side are shown the participants in eight registers, four for women’s banquet and four for that of the men. We are near the east end of the wall and this time the context is that of the party and not a funeral meal, which the iconography and texts clearly show. The proximity of funerary scenes indicates that this banquet had a ritual meaning, such as the intoxication of the participants. These assemblies were held on the days of specific festivals.

The couple, Vizier and wife. In the lower register the couple have completely disappeared. All we can say is that at least one son, Amenhotep, presented flowers. The accompanying texts though, very similar to the previous ones, have by contrast survived. Above the couple: "Joy, jubilation, participation in the festival (with) a lotus flower of the shemu season (=Summer) by the nostrils, balsamic oil upon the crown of the head (= wig). For the Ka of the Prince, Mayor of the City, Vizier Rekhmire (and) his wife Meryt". Above the son: "Speak words. Bring the lotus flowers from your watered garden, for you shall not be thereby deprived. May he give you all sorts of good fruits and good things that grow there to you to be comforted by their sweetness and you revel in all that he provides for you; your heart participates in its young growth, you're refreshed by the shade of trees and you can do there what your heart desire for time infinite and time eternal". We understand by reading this text the importance of the garden in the life of Rekhmire (as in that of all wealthy Egyptians who were basically men of the soil, like the Romans) and why this scene is adjacent to the representation of the garden. Before this second couple is the women’s banquet. Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

The banquet of women. The banquet scene is a remarkable composition in Rekhmire’s tomb for its quality and balance. Men and women are separated (or at least represented as such). All are sitting on a mat on the ground, with the exception of the mother of the vizier, Bet, whose son has wanted to honour her. Each group has its own musicians. The banquet of women occupies the top four registers. The guests are served by young girls, sometimes with older women who stand behind them. The young have different coiffures from their elders, with long tresses on the side and top of the head, and they wear transparent dresses. They offer lotus flowers, floral necklaces which they attach around the ladies necks, ointments with which they anoint them and they serve out the drinks wishing them "to your health!": "For your Ka! Make a happy day!". A curiosity is in the register above, a little to the left, there is a young lutenist. Given her position and that of her hands, she cannot be playing (in fact she is separated from the orchestra). She is tuning her instrument which is shown in profile to the melody and the range of singers voices that are before her; they are not represented because they are offering drink and ointments. Another curiosity about the lutenist: it is the nearest foot of the spectator which is in front, unlike the usual order. The singers ask: "Is it possible that this is Maat before whom we feel such a desire to drink?" Note also at the end of the upper register are jars and vases as well as a suspended leather vessel system for filtering a drink (probably wine). At the start of the second register, under the singers, the mother of Rekhmire enjoys special treatment: she is the only person sitting on a chair and she enjoys the food on a table in front of her. An inscription accompanies her: "For your Ka! Make a holiday while you are on earth. Your Lord Amun, who loves you and supports you, has granted it to you!". The orchestra consists of a harpist, a lutenist, a tambourine player and two women who beat the cadence. Note that the lute is seen from the front when the musician plays. The harpist sings: "Dwith myrrh oil on the wig of Maat. Health and life given by her acting through me"; the lutenist: "Amon, the sky arose for you, the land spreads out at your feet. Ptah made the double chamber of his hands so that the country is born for you"; the tambourin player : "Come wind of the north, which I just saw while I was in my house (?)" Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Women at a Banquet. Note in the middle of the second register this single image, unique throughout Egyptian art: a girl is shown (approximately) three-quarter rear. However, the daring of the artist has its limits not only do the feet remain in a side view, but they are also stupidly crossed. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Scene 19

The Craftsmen of Amun. The representation of the workmen in the chapel of Rekhmire is exceptional and is a major source of information about crafts in ancient Egypt. On the right we find a standing image of Rekhmire, facing left. Behind the Vizier stand the forty of his assistants on four small sub-registers.

Construction and Statuary scenes. Four registers dedicated to the work of construction and decoration inside the Temple of Karnak unfold before Rekhmire, who was followed by his assistants. This is enlarging the precinct of the God with new buildings of brick and earth, making large statues, transporting the stone blocks needed by the river and by land, and finally to organizing the work of teams.

Standing image of Rekhmire. On the right side of this scene we find a standing image of Rekhmire, facing left; and strange to us, it appears his left hand holds a sceptre sekhem that runs behind his body, which is impossible. The image we see is a skewed vision of reality and we must understand that the person advances with the right foot, holding his cane in his right hand and his scepter in his left hand. Behind the Vizier stand the forty of his assistants on four small sub-registers. Above the vizier is the text: "Inspecting all craftsmen of the temple of Amun [...] and giving every man instructions for his task (to make) all types of products". Rekhmire is described as "one who sets the rules for priests and guides wab-priests in their functions". Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Stringing and Drilling Beads. The first register (top) is dedicated to the manufacturing os beads and necklaces. A man, sitting on a stool, drills beads with a bow drill and bits. It seems incredible that the same person can thus operate several bits at a time, and yet it is possible, as shown by the exciting experiences of Denys Stocks; the same scene is also present in at least six Theban tombs. Behind the person drilling, two men are busy stringing beads to make necklaces; a third seems to pass a sort of needle through a bead, perhaps to smooth the hole. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Drilling a Stone Vase. Manufacturing stone vessels in the first register (top). This comes down to the image of an unkempt man who drills a vase with a drill bit made of two wooden parts topped by a hemispherical ballast stone on which is stuck a "crank"; the lower part ends with a fork between the jaws where a flint crescent is held by a wooden stick. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Leather Work. The second register is dedicated to working with leather, essentially making sandals, shields and quivers, an activity represented at the time of Rekhmire that is often replaced by the production of objects intended for chariots with a heart of moulded wood-like leather. The skins are not tanned in the modern sense, they are shaved and scraped, stretched on a tripod or on a framework, steeped and soaked until wet in oil or fat - to soften and waterproof - and hammered, dried, then cut before being shaped. The specific tools for this leather work are represented besides the craftsmen, scrapers, polishers, combs, awls, punches... Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Sandal Maker. A shoemaker pierces the eyelet-holes which the tabs will be fixed through. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Carpenters at Work. The third register is divided into two half-registers and dedicated to woodworking, carpentry and cabinetmaking. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Carpenter Making a Chair. In the third register, two carpenters work upon a chair; one pierces holes with a drill for caning, the other finishes off a chair leg with lion's paw whose tenon is visible. On the far left, two men polish a small shrine which sits on a sled. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Trimming Wood with an Adze. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Casting Metal. These scenes occupy the left half of the fourth register. Two groups are represented in pairs accomplishing two tasks, maintaining hearth heat and melting the metal. Casting a large bronze item for a monumental door (both leaves shown) is done in a mould drilled with 17 openings for filling. This requires the team to have perfect coordination, which is confirmed by the almost military manoeuvre of the three metallurgists hurrying with hand-held tools almost like weapons. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Metal Working. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

The manufacture and transport of bricks. Four registers dedicated to the work of construction and decoration inside the Temple of Karnak unfold before Rekhmire, who was followed by his assistants. The slaves working here are "The captives that His Majesty has bought back to work in the temple of Amun". One thus understands the presence of light-skinned Asian and dark-skinned Nubians dressed in leather loincloths. Their task is explained: "Making bricks to rebuild nine workshops of Amun in Karnak". The reservoir where men will draw water is represented as an ornamental pond, surrounded by trees, with a green bank and having rippled water with floating lilies. Two workers draw up water for the production of bricks. These are made using a mixture of the Nile mud and chopped straw, worked with hoes or by trempling. The mixture is then brought to brick makers who mould the bricks using a wooden template, and then line them up in the sun to dry. Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

The statuary scenes. In the second register, after a large gap, it is clear that some of these blocks are destined for statuary. Thus we see, surrounded by scaffolding, two colossi of red granite in progress. One is a standing ruler, the other the same sovereign seated; between these two, other men are working on a sphinx. Some workers rough out blocks using stone hammers, other polish, others engrave details with a small chisel and a hammer. A painter fills with green paint the hieroglyphics on the back pillar of the standing colossus. One of the characters is awkwardly leaning over a limestone table of offerings shaped like a hotep sign above which we read: "stonemason at work in the temple of Amun... who directs all the work at Karnak". Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Scene 20

The Ritual of Opening of the Mouth. The Ritual of Opening of the Mouth is performed using magical passes on a royal or divine statue to animate it and making it suitable for receiving the essence of divinity thus becoming a hypostasis of the God.

The registers located under the Ritual of Opening of the Mouth show 1) the worship of the statue, 2) the ritual funeral meal, 3) the rites in the garden, and 4) the official meal offered to officials.

The garden of Rekhmire. Like all very senior officials, Rekhmire had for his pleasure a pool in his large garden. This pool was also used for ritual practices upon the statue of the deceased, as here. Opinion is divided as to when such ceremonies were held; in any case it was not during the funeral. It is likely that the ceremony was repeated every year; the deceased could thus benefit from the new pool, drink from it, fish in it and gain sustenance from the products of its trees and gardens. The pool, surrounded by walls, is rectangular, lined with three rows of trees, sycamores on the outside (4th rectangle) and then alternately date palms and dom palms (3rd rectangle), then in the second rectangle other smaller sycamores. On the basis of aspective, trees have been shown lying outwards. In the pool, covered with water plants, fish swim. In the fourth rectangle on the left is a building (kiosk or chapel) with door and cornice ornament, unrelated to the pond. A gardener is picking dates and two others bring water to irrigate trees. A Nechemet boat is towed on the water by two groups of three haulers. Upon its middle stands the statue of the Vizier in an open chapel. In front of the shrine, a priest makes a libation and censes, while behind, a priest laments with arms raised. On the left, on the bank, a man awaits the statue with a papyrus stem and bunches of onions. There are no island, booths for drinks and food, or landing place as can be found in other tombs. Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.

Scene 21

Ritual Processions. This scene shows ritual processions to the Necropolis, to the Embalming Place, to Sais, to Abydos and to the Tomb.

Scene 22

Couples receiving offerings. This scene shows four stacked registers one above another. The couple formed by Rekhmire and his mother, or his wife, are in front of offerings stacked on a table. The couple's children, who officiated as sem-priests, are hammered out.

Rekhmire and Mother Receiving Offerings. In the second register of this scene, the role of the sem-priest is taken by Menkheperrêseneb. Rekhmire is with his mother. The offerings include birds, plucked and unplucked, vegetables (lettuce, cucumbers, and leeks), fruits (figs, dates, and grapes), and bread. Above the offerings beautiful stone vessels are represented separated by lotus stems, probably containing ointments or oils. Facsimile, Tempera on paper by Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965).

Scene 23

Couples receiving offerings. In three of the upper scenes, Rekhmire and his wife Meryt sit before a well-stocked food offering table. These offerings are dedicated by their sons Menkheperrêseneb, Mery and Amenhotep, all of whom remain only as excised outlines because, in their role as sem-priests, they were covered with a leopard skin. The scene at the bottom also includes a "placard" by which term is meant an (inscribed) table detailing the offerings. Priests arranged in two superimposed half-registers bring offerings and incense and pour libations of water. This time, the sitting couple consisted of Rekhmire and his mother Bet.

Scene 24

This occupies the furthest end of the Longitudinal Chamber (E). It is comprised of two superposed false-doors. The top one, much smaller than the other, is now in the Louvre (No. C74) after JF Champollion had found it lying on the ground when he visited the chapel. Above, a statue niche is carved into the wall; its floor is located 6 m (19.6 ft) above the ground. The recess and the second false door are surrounded by a lintel and two inscribed door jambs.

The bottom false door was carved directly into the rock wall, its inscriptions, in very bad condition, consist of classical invocation offerings and titles Rekhmire had accumulated.

The upper false door (Louvre C74) is a removed piece of red granite, it is intact except for the lower right third. On its upright jambs are prayers to Amun of Thebes, Djeseret, Osiris-Sokar, Lord of Ro-Setau, and Osiris, Lord of Abydos.

Texts of the wall bordering on the left and right the false door C74. Left side: "Bring a lamp... for Rekhmire... as present in the southern and northern shrines... The Eye of Horus comes, the Eye of Horus is clear. The Eye of Horus shines in peace, it shines like Re and the power of Seth is hidden before it. The eye of Horus seizes him and brings a lamp before him, directs its heat against him". Right side: "Go to his Ka, like Osiris, as Horus, as Seth, like Thoth, as Khentyenirty, like... ? O Rekhmire, your Ka is placed in front of and behind you! O Rekhmire I have placed your Ka before and behind you; O Rekhmire, I gave you the Eye of Horus with which your face is protected! Its fragrance around you, the scent of the Eye of Horus, O Rekhmire!".

In the niche, on each side, are Rekhmire and his wife Meryt before a table covered with offerings that Menkheperreseneb, the eldest son of the couple, now erased, has consecrated. On the back wall are two vertical lines of text, one mentions the vizier and the other, his wife, thus the statue placed in the niche was a double one.

The lintel of the niche has two scenes of adoring Osiris as Lord of the Necropolis and Osiris revived (Wennefer), protected by the Western and Eastern goddesses. A temple appears in the centre.

The jambs of the niche include prayers, on the left "to Amun-Ra, great and incomparable God"; "Hu, Master of Heliopolis"; "Thoth, the Judge of the two brothers"; "Amun and Mut" and on the right "to Horakhty"; "to Osiris"; "to Anubis"; "to Hathor" that they agree:

• "a saity of food..."
• "pure bread, to his satisfaction, every day";
• "Glory, prosperity, justification and a beautiful burial in the Western Desert."
• "that which happens upon the altars at every festival."
• "the Ba in the sky and the mummy in the lower world."
• "an offering to the voice."
• "daily participation as a blessed being and a daily supply of offerings."
• "a passing on of foods that were offered to Amun and Mut who stand before her (Hathor)".

Upper false door. The upper false door (Louvre C74) is a removed piece of red granite, it is intact except for the lower right third. On its upright jambs are prayers to Amun of Thebes, Djeseret, Osiris-Sokar, Lord of Ro-Setau, and Osiris, Lord of Abydos. This false door is now in the Louvre (No. C74) after JF Champollion had found it lying on the ground when he visited the chapel. The ancient Egyptians believed that the false door was a threshold between the worlds of the living and the dead and through which a deity or the spirit of the deceased could enter and exit. The false door was usually the focus of a tomb's offering chapel, where family members could place offerings for the deceased on a special offering slab placed in front of the door. Most false doors are found on the west wall of a funerary chapel or offering chamber because the Ancient Egyptians associated the west with the land of the dead. In many mastabas, both husband and wife buried within have their own false door. See more at False door: Ancient Egypt - Wikipedia.

See also

• Xxxx

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Sources

• Rekhmire - Wikipedia
• TT100 - Wikipedia
• TT100 Rekhmire - OsirisNet

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Location