Tomb Chapel of Raemkai

This beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 raised relief is part of a much larger tomb chapel 𓀻𓋴𓉐 that is on display at the MET. This tomb chapel 𓀻𓋴𓉐 belonged to a man named 𓂋𓈖 Raemkai, however, it was originally built for someone else! This was originally built for an official named 𓂋𓈖 Neferiretnes, and he either fell out of favor or his family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 could no longer care for the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 so it was then repurposed for Raemkai! 

The tomb chapel 𓀻𓋴𓉐 is where family 𓅕𓉔𓅱𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏦 members of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 would leave offerings for their loved ones. This tomb chapel 𓀻𓋴𓉐 also typically contains a False Door. False Doors served as ways for the living relatives to make offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 to the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. The False Door acted as a link between the land of the living and the land of the dead.

This particular relief is from the east 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭 wall of the tomb chapel 𓀻𓋴𓉐 which shows a total of twenty-two 𓎆𓎆𓏻 women 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪 carrying baskets of various goods on their heads. These woman are not servants, which can be inferred by the sophisticated types of jewelry 𓂝𓏏𓍢 they are wearing: broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦, bracelets 𓂝𓏠𓆑𓂋𓏏𓇛𓏪, anklets, and even very fancy wigs 𓄿𓂋𓏏𓁸𓏦! 

These twenty-two 𓎆𓎆𓏻 women 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐𓏪 are actually personifications of various places; both Egyptian and foreign. The hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 next to each woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 names the village or estates that they represent! We know that these are names of locations/villages due to the “𓊖” determinative hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 that appears at the end of each word! The “𓊖” is the determinative for village/city! 

I love this tomb chapel 𓀻𓋴𓉐, but it is so hard to take good pictures 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓏦 due to the lightning!