Syrians Bringing an Elephant and a Bear, Tomb of Rekhmire 1504 BC

Nina de Garis Davies made this watercolor of a wall painting from the Tomb of Rekhmire. This wasn't art for art's sake, but rather a careful record. Davies was part of a team copying tomb decorations, preserving them for posterity. Now, about the original. It would have been made by skilled artisans, grinding pigments from minerals and plants, mixing them with a binder, and applying them to a prepared plaster surface. The even lines and consistent colors suggest a highly organized workshop, each person responsible for specific tasks, be it preparing the surface, mixing the paints, or drawing the outlines. The subject matter is also revealing. We see an elephant and a bear being presented as tribute, underscoring the wealth and power of the tomb's owner. Exotic animals like these were luxury goods, symbols of status and control over the natural world. Davies’s watercolor, in turn, reminds us of the layers of labor involved, from the ancient artisans to the modern Egyptologists, all dedicated to preserving a story for future generations.