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Illustration
Fowling in the marshes, scene from the tomb of Nebamun, Thebes, Egypt, late 18th Dynasty, c. 1350 BCE.
The British Museum, London.
Nebamun is shown hunting birds, in a small boat with his wife Hatshepsut and their young daughter, in the marshes of the Nile. Such scenes had already been traditional parts of tomb-chapel decoration for hundreds of years and show the dead tomb-owner ‘enjoying himself and seeing beauty’, as the hieroglyphic caption here says.
This is more than a simple image of recreation. Fertile marshes were seen as a place of rebirth and eroticism. Hunting animals could represent Nebamun’s triumph over the forces of nature as he was reborn. The huge striding figure of Nebamun dominates, forever happy and forever young, surrounded by the rich and varied life of the marsh.
There was originally another half of the scene, which showed Nebamun spearing fish. This half of the wall is lost, apart from two old photographs of small fragments of Nebamun and his young son. The painters have captured the scaly and shiny quality of the fish.
A tawny cat catches birds among the papyrus stems. Cats were family pets, but he is shown here because a cat could also represent the Sun-god hunting the enemies of light and order. His unusual gilded eye hints at the religious meanings of this scene.
The artists have filled every space with lively details. The marsh is full of lotus flowers and Plain Tiger butterflies. They are freely and delicately painted, suggesting the pattern and texture of their wings.
Related Images
Egyptian Hunting in the Marshes
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Garden Painting, Tomb of Nebamun
Seated Dog, Tomb of Nebamun
Egyptian Desert Hare Hunting
Hunt in the Forest by Paolo Uccello
References
- Hooper, Meredith. The Tomb of Nebamun. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
- Middleton, Andrew & Uprichard, Ken. Nebamun Wall Paintings. Archetype Books, 2009.
- Parkinson, Richard. The Painted Tomb Chapel of Nebamun. British Museum Press, 2008.
Cite This Work
APA Style
Museum, T. o. t. B. (2012, April 26). Nebamun Hunting in the Marshes. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/503/nebamun-hunting-in-the-marshes/
Chicago Style
Museum, Trustees of the British. "Nebamun Hunting in the Marshes." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 26, 2012. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/503/nebamun-hunting-in-the-marshes/.
MLA Style
Museum, Trustees of the British. "Nebamun Hunting in the Marshes." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 26 Apr 2012. Web. 22 Dec 2024.
