THE PAINTINGS AND INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PAINTED VAULTED CHAMBER OF TETA-KY
BY GEORGE LEGRAIN.
The following description of the paintings of the tomb of Teta-ky is
taken from notes I made in 1909 when I visited Lord Carnarvon’s
excavations. The notes I made at that time were not then intended for
publication. This fact will explain their briefness. The tomb of Teta-ky
having unfortunately been mostly destroyed by natives since that date,
the copy of the texts and pictures that I took on the occasion of my
visit in 1909, together with Mr. Howard Carter’s photographs, are the
only remaining records of this tomb.
The funerary chamber is rectangular. The shorter walls lie east and
west, whilst the longer sides face north and south. The roof is vaulted,
barrel in form, and fairly regular. The ceiling is painted with a
many-coloured chequer pattern; this decoration can be well seen in Plate
IV. 1 and 2.
The decorations of the north and south walls consist of a long row of
_Kheker_-ornaments. Beneath this row there is a line of detailed
hieroglyphs, and beneath these again are scenes which run from left to
right. These pictures were painted on stucco mixed without straw. This
stucco has fallen away in several places, which has naturally caused the
disappearance of many portions of the scenes represented in the tomb.
Added to these accidents the tomb was re-used in ancient times, and part
of the scenes were covered with an opaque lime-wash. Besides all these
mutilations, breaches, and holes have very much spoilt this curious
monument.
The general scheme of decoration can be described as follows:--
_Northern Wall._ Scenes of the private life of Teta-ky.
_Eastern Wall._ Queen Nefert-ari presenting offerings to the funerary
Hathor Cow, ‘Lady of Dendera’.
_Southern Wall._ Funerary procession. Funeral and arrival of Teta-ky in
the Kingdom of Osiris.
_Western Wall._ Teta-ky in adoration before Osiris Khent-amenti. Beneath,
funerary banquet and stela of Teta-ky.
This order is adopted in the following description.
_North Wall._ The following text is above the scenes: [Illustration:
hieroglyph]
_Scene A_ (Pl. V). The dead man [Illustration: hieroglyph], ‘The Royal
Son Teta-ky’, is seated beneath a kiosk, of which three columns are
visible. The polychrome capitals of these columns are in the shape of
lotus buds. Around his neck Teta-ky wears a large necklace, and he has
armlets on his arms and bracelets on his wrists. His wife [Illustration:
hieroglyph], ‘The Lady Senba’, is seated at his side with left arm
around him. Teta-ky is receiving grapes from a girl standing before him.
[Illustration: hieroglyph]
Behind the girl is a woman standing near the right-hand column.
[Illustration: hieroglyph] (_sic_)
_Scene B_ (Pl. V). Two women stand before three seated men. By the side
of the smaller woman there is a harp. The text relating to this woman
reads:--[Illustration: hieroglyph]. The taller woman places her hands
towards the face of the first seated man. He holds her by the left
wrist. Above this woman is the name [Illustration: hieroglyph]
Above the first man is [Illustration: hieroglyph]
Above the second man is [Illustration: hieroglyph]
Above the third man is [Illustration: hieroglyph]
_Scene C._ A woman opening a small box shows its contents to two
squatting men.
Above the woman [Illustration: hieroglyph]
Above the first man [Illustration: hieroglyph]
Above the second man [Illustration: hieroglyph]
Nine women follow. Their names read:--
[Illustration: (1) hieroglyph]
[Illustration: (2) hieroglyph]
[Illustration: (3) hieroglyph]
[Illustration: (4) hieroglyph]
[Illustration: (5) hieroglyph]
[Illustration: (6) hieroglyph]
[Illustration: (7) hieroglyph]
[Illustration: (8) hieroglyph]
[Illustration: (9) hieroglyph]
_Scene D._ Much of this scene is covered with whitewash. A woman brings
a cup in one hand, whilst in the other she holds a red clay vase. A
squatting woman beneath a tree is in front of her. To the right a man
paddles.
Harnessed and loaded donkeys are seen here (Pl. V). To the right men
unload the donkeys. Further on a man squats before a heap of grain
[Illustration: hieroglyph]. Originally there existed three horizontal
lines of hieroglyphs, of which only the following signs remain:--
[Illustration: (1) hieroglyph]
[Illustration: (2) hieroglyph]
[Illustration: (3) hieroglyph]
_East Wall._ The decorations of this wall are arranged in the following
manner:--
The Solar Disk spreads its wings above the two scenes, A and B.
_Scene A_ (Pl. VI). To the left is depicted the Cow Hathor, white with
brown markings, the Solar Disk between her horns. She is [Illustration:
hieroglyph]. Before the Cow Goddess, Queen Nefert-ari [Illustration:
hieroglyph] holds a flaming censer. Nefert-ari is followed by
[Illustration: hieroglyph].
In the left lower corner of this scene, below the Hathor Cow, two men
and a woman are carrying offerings.
_Scene B._ This scene on the right side is practically destroyed, only
the picture of the Hathor Cow is remaining.
_South Wall._ Scenes, sections A and B divided by the entrance door, are
headed by the following inscription:--[Illustration: hieroglyph].
_Scene A_ (Pl. VII). The mummy is seen under a canopied sledge. Two men
opposite each other embrace the mummy. A woman fondles the feet, another
the head. On the side of the canopy a long coiled snake forms the
frieze. A man with arms hanging by his sides follows behind the sledge.
He wears a wig, necklace, and a long tunic, and is following the funeral
procession. The sledge itself is pulled by three men and two beasts.
Between these men and animals and the sledge a man is shown pouring
water upon the ground to facilitate the traction of the sledge. Above
this man we read [Illustration: hieroglyph], and above each of the
men:--[Illustration: hieroglyph], followed by a name obliterated.
The driver places his left hand on the hind-quarters of the cattle and
with his right hand lifts a stick as if to strike.
Three men, wearing curious high and open-work head-dresses, come forward
to meet the funeral procession and dance before it (Pl. VIII). Above
these dancers the following hieroglyphs can be read:--[Illustration:
hieroglyph].
_Scene B_ (Pl. VIII). Beneath the funerary canopy the mummy is placed
upright. The priest throws a few grains of incense into a censer which
he presents to the mummy. The mummy is perhaps of the _Rîshi_ or feather
type; that is to say, of the kind of decoration used for the mummy cases
of the Antefs, and of the people of Thebes who died before the beginning
of the XVIIIth Dynasty. A number of coffins of the same and more
elaborate type have since been found by Lord Carnarvon in the necropolis
of the XIIth to XVIIIth Dynasties in the immediate neighbourhood of
Teta-ky’s tomb.
_Scene C_ (Pl. IX). To the right of this scene, in a Naos, stands the
Osiris Khent-amenti clad in white, wearing the Upper Egyptian crown, and
holding the crook and flail. In front of him, from left to right, are,
firstly, the plan of an habitation in which two of the _MW_-dancers are
walking. Secondly, two obelisks in red granite. Thirdly, two trees
covered with fruit. Fourthly, two rows of four shrines containing gods,
goddesses, and funerary genii.
_Scene D_ (Pl. IX). This scene, almost entirely destroyed, depicted the
transport of the _Tekenu_ to the necropolis. This person is wrapt in red
cloth and is squatting on a sledge. At this spot much of the wall is
broken away. We read the following legend in front of the
_Tekenu_:--[Illustration: hieroglyph], while above him is [Illustration:
hieroglyph].
The ceremonial continues to the right. Above the break in the wall is
the sign [Illustration: hieroglyph], then [Illustration: hieroglyph],
and right at the end is figured a coffer or box ornamented with a lion’s
head, which is carried on the shoulders of the officiating priests.
Before these personages is an inscription which reads:--[Illustration:
hieroglyph].
_West Wall_ (Pl. VI). The decorations on this wall are arranged in the
following manner:--
_A. in centre._ Vertical line of text [Illustration: hieroglyph].
_B. right side._ The [Illustration: hieroglyph] presents numerous
offerings piled upon an altar to Osiris Khent-amenti, who is seated upon
a high pedestal and is clad in white and wears the Upper Egyptian crown.
Behind Teta-ky the [Illustration: hieroglyph] cuts off the fore-leg of a
white bull.
_C. left side._ The [Illustration: hieroglyph] stands before another
similar Osiris Khent-amenti. He burns incense, pours water from a vase,
and makes other oblations. Behind him a servant cuts off the fore-leg of
a dark-coloured bull.
_Lower portion._
_D. Central false door._ Almost entirely destroyed. Decorated with
multicoloured palm-leaf frieze; this was the funerary stela of Teta-ky.
_E. Left side._ On the left a man is seated. The text in this instance
is so mutilated that his name [Illustration: hieroglyph] can alone be
read. Behind him the lady [Illustration: hieroglyph] places her arms
around his neck. In front of these two people, to the right, a man makes
offerings and libations.
Text: [Illustration: hieroglyph].
_F. right side._ A similar group to _E_, with the following texts above
the two seated persons:--
[Illustration: hieroglyph]
The inscription above the man making offerings has been covered by
whitewash, and it is only possible to read the following signs:--
[Illustration: hieroglyph] [Illustration: hieroglyph]