Mar 17, 20222 min read

A Trio of Musicians from the Tomb of Nakht

Updated: Jun 21, 2022

Object Details

Type: Tomb painting
Date: Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep III, c. 1410-1370 BC
Findspot: Tomb of Nakht (TT53), Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Thebes
Print Reference: DP62
Reproduction Note: The paintings in the tomb of Nakht have degraded significantly due to vandalism, so this reproduction was made with help from a copy made by Hugh R. Hopgood in 1908–1914, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Copy of the full scene from the tomb by Hugh R. Hopgood in 1908–1914 (Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 15.5.19d, j–k)

My reproduction of a detail from a tomb painting from the tomb of Nakht (TT53) in Thebes dating to Dynasty 18, c. 1410-1370 BC. Nakht was a scribe and Astronomer of Amun and lived during the reigns of Amenhotep II and Amenhotep III. He was wealthy enough to have a richly painted tomb that contained scenes of his achievements in life and desires for the afterlife.

This trio of female musicians comes from a larger scene depicting the tomb owner Nakht taking part in the annual "Beautiful Festival of the Valley" celebration. This was when the cult statues of the gods Amun, Khonsu and Mut left Karnak Temple in a sacred barque and visited the shrines in the Theban necropolis. Music and dance played an important part in religious festivals and was seen as a way of praising the gods and encouraging jubilant worship.

The women are playing a double flute, a lute, and a harp-like instrument with more than a dozen strings and an elaborate soundbox decorated with animal skin. Each has unique features that separate her from her companions, including different hairstyles, floral headbands, and broad collars. Two are dressed in long tight-fitting dresses whilst the one in the middle is naked except for a narrow, beaded belt around her waist.