Banquet scene: fragment of wall painting from the tomb of
Nebamun (no. 6)
Thebes, Egypt
18th Dynasty, around 1350 BC
Unlike the other banquet scenes on this wall (fragment nos. 3
and 4), there are no musicians or dancers. Women and men attend on
the couples in the upper scene, and women on the female guests in
the lower scene. At the right of the lower scene a man attends on
the first figure in what was perhaps a row of further men or
couples.
Some guests at the banquet hold lotus flowers or buds, others
mandrakes. Those serving are offering drinks or flower collars to
the guests. At the left side of both scenes are piles of food, none
of which is shown being consumed at the banquet.
L. Manniche, 'Reflections on the banquet scene' in La peinture Égyptienne ancienn, Brussels (1994), pp. 29-36
L. Manniche, Lost tombs: a study of certain (London, Kegan Paul International, 1988)