The Tomb of Djehutynakht

Djehutynakht and a Servant

     Djehutynakht was probably a Nomarch (Governor) of the area around Hermopolis in Egypt during the early part of the Middle Kingdom. His tomb, which also originally contained the burial of his wife (who may have also been named Djehutynakht), was found by a Harvard / Museum of Fine Arts archaeological expedition in 1915. The objects found in the tomb were allocated to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston where some of them are currently on display.

     The most famous objects found in the tomb are the wonderful painted coffins that the couple were buried in. These coffins were made of cedar wood imported from what is now Lebanon. Many of the paintings on the coffins are absolutely exquisite and surely rank as some of the most beautiful paintings ever done in ancient Egypt.

     The scene shown here shows some of the standard iconography of Egyptian Art. Djehutynakht is shown seated as a servant brings food to the Nomarch. Djehutnakht is shown as being much larger than his less important (and unnamed) servant. His lordship wears a broad collar around his neck and has his staff of authority in one hand. The chair he is seated on has a cloth cushion draped over the low "back" and has four legs carved to look like animal legs.

Photo copyright (c) 2013 by John Freed