NOTE FROM THE ARTIST:

"Music and Wine" is a most unusual picture because it dispenses with the stylized profile-only representations of people so regularly seen in Egyptian tomb paintings. Here, the four women are seated on the floor with their feet tucked under them. Although not anatomically a correct image, it is refreshing to see that the ancient artist tried a different approach. Two of the women are in profile, but are clapping their hands. The other two are shown in a front view, one clapping and the other playing a flute like instrument. These are two of the very few front views ever shown in Egyptian art.

All four of the women wear the cones of perfumed oil, called Qemi, on their heads, along with decorative headbands and collars.

The two serving girls, wearing only the briefest of belted costumes, are clapping and dancing to the music. Beside them are rows of large earthen wine jars, festooned with decorative ribbons and with grapes, leaves and vines at the bootom. Typically, the picture shows the effervescent contents of the jars by the depiction of explosions of bubbly wine at their tops.

The hieroglyphic inscription, roughly translated, seems to indicate that the celebration is for the beginning of the annual inundation, the event that is the beginning of the ancient Egyptian New Year. It states:

The earth-god, Geb, causes his beauty to grow in the heart of every creature,
This is the work of Ptah's hands, this is balm to his breast.
When the tanks are full of fresh water,
And the earth overflows with his love.

"Music and Wine" is a companion piece to "Waiting to Dance" and was taken from the tomb wall fragment now in the British Museum in London.

JIM BROWN

These lithographs are reproduced on heavy (100 lb. weight) quintessence cover paper with a white background to match the original plastered tomb walls.