Tomb of Sennefer Plan - Nobles Tombs - Luxor, Egypt- Part X

Tombs of the Nobles, Luxor, Egypt.
Sennofer or Sennefer, Tombs of the Nobles, Luxor, Egypt.
In this delightful tomb the boxed-in effect has been broken. The 'oriental tent' atmosphere of most tombs is missing because the entire ceiling has been painted with a creeping vine. Interesting use has been made of the rough surfaces of the rock to make the grapes and vine-tendrils more realistic, and the experiment has succeeded.

Both the first small chamber and the main hall, which is supported by four pillars, have been decorated in this manner.

Sennofer (Sennefer) was the overseer of the gardens of Amon under Amenhotep II. His tomb,which was excavated only in the 20th century, was found to have mostly religious inscriptions but the condition of the frescoes is almost perfect and their freshness and

A steep flight of stairs takes us down to the first chamber, and the first representations we meet on the left-hand wall (a) show Sennefer being brought offerings from his daughter and ten priests. Circling the chamber clockwise we see on the two rear walls (b) and (c) drawings of the deceased with his wife worshiping Osiris who is represented above the doorway of the main chamber. On the right-hand wall (d) the deceased is seen entering and leaving his tomb while servants bring sacred offerings and his daughter stands behind him.

Above the doorway of the main chamber lie two representations of Anubis. Touring the chamber clockwise we come first to a scene of the deceased and his wife emerging from the tomb (c), and further along seated on a bench. On the left-hand wall at (f) are servants bringing furniture to the tomb and setting up two obelisks before the shrine. At (g) are funerary ceremonies and the nobleman himself (to the left) looks on. On the rear wall (h) the deceased and his wife are at a table of offerings while priests offer sacrifices to the dead. Further to the right (i) are scenes of the voyage to Abydos, statues of the deceased and his wife in a shrine in a boat being towed by another boat. Thus the deceased nobleman satisfied himself of favor with Osiris by showing that he had the intention of performing the sacred pilgrimage.

One of the most beautiful representations is that of the deceased and his wife in an arbour (j) praying to Osiris and Anubis. At (k) a priest clad in a leopard skin purifies them with holy water and at (l) is the scene before a table of offerings where Sennefer puts a lotus blossom to his nostrils and his wife tenderly holds his leg.

The pillars have representations of Sennefer and his wife. Perhaps the most attractive is to be found on the left-hand pillar at (m).

Luxor, Egypt