Nebamun receives offerings from his son: fragment of wall
painting from the tomb of Nebamun (no. 7)
Thebes, Egypt
18th Dynasty, around 1350 BC
Nebamun is seated at the right. In front of him is a large
spread of offerings, shown one layer above the other, in the
typical Egyptian manner. We can see wine jars with garlands, a
mixture of bread, meat, fruit and vegetables. At the top some
exotic metal vessels contain special items, each topped with a
bunch of lotus flowers. The large bouquet to the left is being
presented by Nebamun's son (whose hands are visible) as part of the
standard formulaic 'offering which the king gives'
(hetep-di-nisut) found in every Egyptian tomb.
Such offering scenes go back to the Early Dynastic Period
(3100-2613 BC) and the start of Egyptian tomb decoration. They were
intended in part to provide a magical substitute for real
offerings. The ancient Egyptians knew that the offerings of real
food and drink made by relatives - or priests paid to perform the
service - would cease after a certain period of time. It was
believed that by furnishing your tomb with a representation of such
a scene, the offerings would always be there for you in the
Afterlife.
M. Hooper, The Tomb of Nebamun, Cambridge reading (Cambridge University Press, 1997)
L. Manniche, Lost tombs: a study of certain (London, Kegan Paul International, 1988)