CHAPTER II
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.
Behind the girl is a woman standing near the right-hand column.
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:--
_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:--
_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:--
The inscription above the man making offerings has been covered by whitewash, and it is only possible to read the following signs:--