The harpist

Inerkhau and his wife are seated facing east, listening to the melody of a harpist seated on a mat in front of them. They’re both dressed similarly to the previous two scenarios, but Wabet is wearing a thick usekh-necklace in addition to her disc earrings this time. Both of their feet are bare. Inerkhau holds the sekhem-sceptre with his right hand on his heart and his left hand palm down on his knee. Wabet’s right hand is probably resting on her husband’s right shoulder, although it can’t be seen. Her left hand is in front of her face, lifted.

Squatting on a mat, the harpist is an obese man with a shaved head and pierced earlobe. According to Ramesside era customs, the body is presented in full profile. He is not deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly deafeningly dea He sings while accompanying himself on the harp, thus his mouth is open. He is depicted with the usual inaccuracies: oddly shaped hands in the strings, very skinny arms in comparison to his plumpness, and poorly dimensioned feet, a cleft in the head, feminine breasts, and a pleated abdomen It’s also worth noting that both of his arms are painted on the same side of the harp, which is a characteristic Egyptian manner used to highlight the instrument and demonstrate that it required two hands to play.
The harp lays behind the deceased’s feet and finishes in the shape of a falcon’s head at the top. There is a discrepancy in the amount of strings (22) and keys (36) used.

Object Details

The harpist

New Kingdom

Dynasty 20, reigns of Ramesses III and Ramesses IV

1186 to 1155 BC

Egypt, Luxor, Deir el-Medina

Tomb of Inherkau, TT359

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