DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3391#0035
26
THE PAINTED COFFINS AND CHAPEL
size, and the two younger may have been twins.
Each son kneels before his pile of offerings, and has
his left knee on the ground, with right knee raised to
support the left arm. They resemble the father in
green collar and white waist-cloth, and they wear the
black wig but without its square lappet. On the
ground before each lies a green reed mat, bound with
black ties, and the offerings consist of a tall red jar of
drink-offering, with a sealed capping, a large oblong
raisin loaf, and, above it, a haunch of meat and a
bunch of grapes.
67. Beginning at the south-west corner of the
tomb-chapel once more, and traversing from west to
east, we review the end-wall (south wall, facing
north). Here the scene begins with the figure of
Ata, the nebt per, the Lady of the House, who is
shewn kneeling before a mat of offerings, She is
painted in yellow, the usual colour for representing
women. She wears a large black wig hanging
down on both sides of the shoulders, and her eye is
black. Her profile is of the under-hung type. In-
deed, she is a person of uncompromising appearance,
and much severity of plainness, but perhaps the artist
did not do justice to her looks. She is dressed in
a long white garment, tight-fitting, with the usual
shoulder-strap, and she kneels on both knees, having
the left hand laid on the breast, and the right hand
extended towards her offerings. These consist of a
large raisin loaf, a haunch, a bunch of green vege-
tables, and a bunch of purple grapes, which are
piled upon a reed mat beside a sealed jar of red
pottery for a drink offering. She is figured on a
large scale, to show her importance as Lady of the
House. We continue the series immediately at the
back of the figure of Ata, but only find the half-
perished remains of yet another mat of offerings,
with the raisin-loaf, and haunch, and bunch of grapes
still whole, but the tall sealed jar very imperfectly
preserved. Those are the offerings for the eldest
daughter whose portrait and name have disappeared
in the peeling of the stucco. A little further along,
in the south-east corner of the chapel, the sealed jar
reappears, with part of a reed mat. These are the
fragments of offerings for a second daughter, Neferu,
who is represented round the corner, at the end of
the long east wall; behind her is the third daughter,
smaller than the second, with a similar pile of offer-
ings. The daughters are all painted in exactly the
same dress and attitude as their mother Ata, but are
on a smaller scale. The scenes are here interrupted
by the archway of the canopic niche which occupies
a couple of feet of wall surface. Beyond it, north-
ward, the scene finishes with a procession of women
servants bearing offerings, and farm hands leading
beasts. The women servants have the black wig and
eye, yellow skin, and white dress with shoulder-
strap, like the members of the family, but they are
on a much smaller scale than the daughters. The
first woman walks forward, bearing in her two
hands a green reed tray ; in the middle of it stands
a small vase, composing the hotep offering (vase on
mat). At the sides or edges stand two tall red hes
vases with blue rims and shoulders. From her hands,
or from these vases, depend two long red loops with
blue ankhs slung on them. The second woman
carries a tall black wicker basket on her head,
steadied with the left hand. The contents, which
according to Egyptian custom, are figured at the
top, are the usual raisin loaf and bunch of grapes,
between two sealed jars of red pottery. With her
right hand she holds the leading rope of the fore-
most of the animals, as the herdsman who also
clutches it with both hands is rather small. This
youth, who follows behind her, is painted red, with
black wig, and he wears a yellow waist-cloth with
a waist-tie. The red and white oryx, black-collared,
which he leads, follows with a long placid stride;
the action of the limbs shows great observation.
The long nose and ear, the gentle curve of the horns,
the graceful limbs and furry coat are faithfully
rendered. Last in the procession comes another
small herdsman, like his fellow, leading by a yellow
rope a large dappled cow, grey and white. Little
of this beast remains, only the ear and line of the
back, and parts of the legs, but there is enough to
show how excellent the work of it must have been.
The animals, indeed, are drawn with far greater
precision and truer feeling than the human figures.
At this point we have reached the near corner of
the chapel, and are returned again to the entrance.
CHAPTER XI
THE INSCRIPTIONS
By M. A. MURRAY
68. Stele of Ab. (pi. vi). A roughly-pyramidal stone.
The inscription is not completely finished. The main
part of the inscription is enclosed within a rectangle,
and is in relief. The inscription on the left side is
incised, and details of the birds in and round the
THE PAINTED COFFINS AND CHAPEL
size, and the two younger may have been twins.
Each son kneels before his pile of offerings, and has
his left knee on the ground, with right knee raised to
support the left arm. They resemble the father in
green collar and white waist-cloth, and they wear the
black wig but without its square lappet. On the
ground before each lies a green reed mat, bound with
black ties, and the offerings consist of a tall red jar of
drink-offering, with a sealed capping, a large oblong
raisin loaf, and, above it, a haunch of meat and a
bunch of grapes.
67. Beginning at the south-west corner of the
tomb-chapel once more, and traversing from west to
east, we review the end-wall (south wall, facing
north). Here the scene begins with the figure of
Ata, the nebt per, the Lady of the House, who is
shewn kneeling before a mat of offerings, She is
painted in yellow, the usual colour for representing
women. She wears a large black wig hanging
down on both sides of the shoulders, and her eye is
black. Her profile is of the under-hung type. In-
deed, she is a person of uncompromising appearance,
and much severity of plainness, but perhaps the artist
did not do justice to her looks. She is dressed in
a long white garment, tight-fitting, with the usual
shoulder-strap, and she kneels on both knees, having
the left hand laid on the breast, and the right hand
extended towards her offerings. These consist of a
large raisin loaf, a haunch, a bunch of green vege-
tables, and a bunch of purple grapes, which are
piled upon a reed mat beside a sealed jar of red
pottery for a drink offering. She is figured on a
large scale, to show her importance as Lady of the
House. We continue the series immediately at the
back of the figure of Ata, but only find the half-
perished remains of yet another mat of offerings,
with the raisin-loaf, and haunch, and bunch of grapes
still whole, but the tall sealed jar very imperfectly
preserved. Those are the offerings for the eldest
daughter whose portrait and name have disappeared
in the peeling of the stucco. A little further along,
in the south-east corner of the chapel, the sealed jar
reappears, with part of a reed mat. These are the
fragments of offerings for a second daughter, Neferu,
who is represented round the corner, at the end of
the long east wall; behind her is the third daughter,
smaller than the second, with a similar pile of offer-
ings. The daughters are all painted in exactly the
same dress and attitude as their mother Ata, but are
on a smaller scale. The scenes are here interrupted
by the archway of the canopic niche which occupies
a couple of feet of wall surface. Beyond it, north-
ward, the scene finishes with a procession of women
servants bearing offerings, and farm hands leading
beasts. The women servants have the black wig and
eye, yellow skin, and white dress with shoulder-
strap, like the members of the family, but they are
on a much smaller scale than the daughters. The
first woman walks forward, bearing in her two
hands a green reed tray ; in the middle of it stands
a small vase, composing the hotep offering (vase on
mat). At the sides or edges stand two tall red hes
vases with blue rims and shoulders. From her hands,
or from these vases, depend two long red loops with
blue ankhs slung on them. The second woman
carries a tall black wicker basket on her head,
steadied with the left hand. The contents, which
according to Egyptian custom, are figured at the
top, are the usual raisin loaf and bunch of grapes,
between two sealed jars of red pottery. With her
right hand she holds the leading rope of the fore-
most of the animals, as the herdsman who also
clutches it with both hands is rather small. This
youth, who follows behind her, is painted red, with
black wig, and he wears a yellow waist-cloth with
a waist-tie. The red and white oryx, black-collared,
which he leads, follows with a long placid stride;
the action of the limbs shows great observation.
The long nose and ear, the gentle curve of the horns,
the graceful limbs and furry coat are faithfully
rendered. Last in the procession comes another
small herdsman, like his fellow, leading by a yellow
rope a large dappled cow, grey and white. Little
of this beast remains, only the ear and line of the
back, and parts of the legs, but there is enough to
show how excellent the work of it must have been.
The animals, indeed, are drawn with far greater
precision and truer feeling than the human figures.
At this point we have reached the near corner of
the chapel, and are returned again to the entrance.
CHAPTER XI
THE INSCRIPTIONS
By M. A. MURRAY
68. Stele of Ab. (pi. vi). A roughly-pyramidal stone.
The inscription is not completely finished. The main
part of the inscription is enclosed within a rectangle,
and is in relief. The inscription on the left side is
incised, and details of the birds in and round the