Collection online

tomb-painting

• Object type

  • tomb-painting

• Museum number

  EA37986

• Description

  Rectangular fragment (one of three) of a polychrome tomb-painting representing a banquet scene, divided into two registers: upper - three seated couples are attended by serving women and boys; lower - a group of women, seated apart from the men, are attended by a standing serving woman.

• Culture/period

  • 18th Dynasty

• Date

  • 1350BC (circa)

• Findspot

  • Excavated/Findspot: Tomb of Nebamun
  • (Africa,Egypt,Upper Egypt,Tomb of Nebamun (Thebes))

• Materials

  • plaster

• Technique

  • painted

• Dimensions

  • Height: 76 centimetres (max)
  • Width: 126 centimetres (painting only)

• Curator's comments

  Published:
  PM I Part 2, p. 817. Le Pharaon-Soleil, Paris 1993, p. 238 [Fig.IX.25a,b].
  Lise Manniche in, Strudwick & Taylor: The Theban Necropolis, 2003, [pl.7];
  N. Strudwick, Masterpieces of Ancient Egypt, London 2006, pp. 172-3.
  Full publication: R. Parkinson, The Painted Tomb-Chapel of Nebamun: Masterpieces of Ancient Egyptian Art in the British Museum (London: British Museum Press 2008).
  A. Middleton and K. Uprichard (ed.), The Nebamun Wall paintings: Conservation, Scientific Analysis and Display at the British Museum (London: Archetype 2008).

  More 

• Bibliography

  • Strudwick 2006 p.172

• Location

  G61/2C

• Condition

  good (incomplete)

• Conservation

  See treatments 

  •  February 2006 – Permanent Exhibition 
  •  April 2000 – Storage 
  •  June 1997 – Storage 

  About these records 

• Science

  See investigations 

  Analysis date

  5 August 2004
  

  Reason for analysis

  Analytical Request

  Analysis title

  Identification of conservation materials on the Nebamun wall painting Banqueting scene EA37986

  Analysis outline

  The Nebamun wall painting “Banqueting scene” (EA37986) is currently undergoing conservation. Conservation materials on the surface were identified to aid there removal. Four samples were taken. Sample one was identical to a sample taken from the edge of the offering table (EA37985) (1). The material looked waxy but when sampled it was difficult to remove it without taking some of the gypsum backing. This made it difficult to identify. A Raman spectrum was also obtained but again it could not be matched against library spectra. Samples two and three were identified as beeswax, sample four was identified as paraffin wax.

  Analysis reference number

  AR2004-57

  About these records 

• Associated names

  • Associated with: Nebamun

• Acquisition name

  • Purchased from: Henry Salt

• Acquisition date

  1821

• Department

  Ancient Egypt & Sudan

• BM/Big number

  EA37986

• Registration number

  .37986

• Additional IDs

  • ES.181