WEST WALL, NORTH SIDE (P&M 8)

() The composition of the décor is typical of the 18th dynasty; nonetheless, one can still notices some rearrangements made by Djehutyemheb. The wall is divided into two registers of both similar heights, each of them in turn being divided into two sections.

1) - Upper register

a) - Left side

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Originally, this part of the register illustrated Djehuty, probably accompanied by his mother, sitting in front of an offering table with two women facing him: one of them can be seen handing him a bowl, the other a beaded necklace. Djehutyemheb transformed these initial representations into two chantresses dressed in the ramesside fashion, shaking their hathoric sistrums over a well-garnished offering table. One of them can also be seen holding a menat necklace with a counterweight in gold comprised of the face of the goddess Hathor wearing the pschent with the uraeus in front (). They have been renamed by Djehutyemheb: “The chantress of Amun, king of the gods, (of) Mut (and of) Khonsu, Bakkhonsu”, thus this is about his wife and “His daughter, the chantress (of Amun) Tyemheb”.
As to Djehuty, his image was replaced in this strategic part of the tomb by that a leonine goddess (whose depiction has unfortunately disappeared in great part) : situated at the entrance of the tomb’s axis, and well lit, it is impossible for the visitor to miss it. It is the principle of the Blickpunktsbild: a significant image in a significant location.

The text that follows has been added to the yellow ramesside background: “Words spoken by Mout, mistress of the sky; (by) Sekhmet, beloved of Ptah; (by) Bastet”, the eye of Ra, great of magic, mistress of the palace of the son of the sun and lord of the Two Lands (=pharaoh), mistress of all the gods”.
Sekhmet, Mut and Bastet are leonine goddesses, in relation to the solar emanations and the lioness is one of the principal forms that the “Dangerous Goddess” takes on. Sekhmet “the powerful one", is the most important of the leonine goddesses of the Egyptian pantheon. Sekhmet possesses a double personality. On one side she is considered as the daughter of Ra, and as the principal manifestation of the Eye of the sun. Thus she is a dangerous and destructive goddess whose breath burns the enemies similar the burning wind of the desert. She is also responsible of epidemics via the intermediary of her messengers who are the carriers. On the other hand, as with many gods and goddesses, Sekhmet is ambivalent since she also appears as a healer of plagues, even those she herself released. Mut is the female consort of Amun, to whom she contributes to solarise. Bastet represents the appeased form, the beneficial form of the Dangerous Goddess –depicted as a cat, she often, as is the case here, is featured holding in her hand a papyriform sceptre.

b) - Right side

The register is subdivided into three sub-registers devoted to a scene known as the funerary banquet.
The men, serious and stiff, occupy the bottom row, whilst the women, featured more jovial, are spread on the other two rows. All the guests can be seen sitting down in the same manner on a papyrus mat, their bottoms placed on their ankles and their other leg bent. All the women carry the scented cone on their heads, however this is not the case with the men.
The scene of the “banquet” is a major representation, which is never absent in the tombs of the 18th dynasty (Manniche), but disappears at the ramesside period (similar is the case with the scenes reflecting the daily life, for example, those illustrating the deceased undertaking his occupations). The banquet scene on this wall is quite a strange one due to focus being directed on to the drink. This is so due to the fact that in order to attain the second state that would allow the liberation of the spirit and the reduction of the senses, one must drink a lot (and not water!), and sometimes until one is ill. Meanwhile no eating is involved, or very little. It seems certain that, in addition to the wine, other psychotropic beverages were involved. No doubt these would have been contained in the little vases held by the servants. The participants are quite young, however there is no sign of children. The lotus flower is largely present, either in the hands or on the wigs of the hosts, but also in the presents offered to them. The banquet is under the patronage of Hathor, goddess of joy, of inebriation and of love.
Considered as a mean of communication between the living and their dead, the banquet is supposed to be renewed every year during the Beautiful Festival of the Valley, in which the god Amun visits the tombs and temples on the west bank.

Bottom sub-register

Four unguent pots are positioned on display stands. The four men featured sitting down are the sons of Djehutyemheb. The first, whose image can be seen to have undergone a carving, must be Panakhtenopet (), the second Userhatnakht, the third Unnefer and the last one, in front of whom a pitcher is placed, is Panesutauy.

Middle and upper sub-registers

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They are composed of the wife of Djehutyemheb, Bakkhonsu, his five daughters, all chantresses of Amun: Tyemheb, Nakhtmut, Henuttaouy, Urneferet and Isisneferet. In addition to them, are the five daughters of his daughters, once again all of them (except for one) chantresses: Irneferumut, Akhmut, Dinymuti and Isis.

Three amphorae remain visible; their lids are surmounted with a lotus stem, and in front of them are a bunch of grapes hanging, thus indicating that they contain wine (). On the right, one can notice a small servant whose body, from the time of Djehuty, was clothed simply with a belt composed of pearls; however, Djehutyemheb appears to have deemed it necessary to dress this servant with a white tunic, not because of prudishness, but most probably this was done in order for the representation of the servant to be in accord with the fashion sense of his time. From one hand, the young girl can be seen holding small vials, whilst with the other one she presents a goblet to the first female guest, Isisneferet. One can clearly distinguish on the the additions of white paint on top of the garments.

Next, we find two small servants attending “the daughter of his daughter, the chantress, Akhmut”  (). The first one, leaning over the lady, applies an unguent or a perfume from a white vase speckled with brown that is in turn being held by a young Nubian woman, who is recognisable by her darker complexion. In the following scene () another Nubian woman is arranging a floral necklace around the neck of “the daughter of his daughter, Isis”; behind her one can find, standing, “the daughter of his daughter Dinimouti” () who is holding in her hand one of the floral necklaces, as well as opened and closed lotus flowers. On the image we can distinguish quite well the little blue pearls constituting the belt which, from the time of Djehuty, was the only item of clothing on her body.

The beginning of the upper sub-register illustrates four large white jars. Two of them are sealed by a type of vegetable lid with their stems of green leaves falling gracefully over the containers’ bellies: these contain without doubt water. On top of the other two jars, the stems that can be seen falling over the bellies are those pertaining to dates: these containers probably contained beer (which was often aromatised with the use of dates).
The lady Bakkhonsu, whose name seems to have disappeared in a gap of the wall, is at the heading of the guests. Behind her, “her daughter the chantress of Amun, Tyemheb” turns around to face her sister Nakhtmut and presents her a lotus flower. Davies thought that the sisters were comparing the perfume of their respective flowers, which I believe is not likely to be the case since the flower appears as a bud, thus it is closed. In fact, she offers her the symbol of gestation, and thus wishes her a good and successful pregnancy.
Then follows “the daughter of his daughter, the chantress of Amun, Irneferumut”. Standing behind her, leaning forward, a small servant pours the contents of a vial on the joint hands of “his daughter, the chantress of Amun, Henuttauy” (, ). It seems rather strange that, in this context, this one did not use a bowl.

2) - Lower register

a) - Left side

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Initially, this register depicted Djehuty and his mother (?) sitting down, and receiving a bouquet of Amun from an individual standing in front of them. When Djehutyemheb recuperated the tomb, he changed the original accompanying text “For your Ka, a bouquet of Amun […]” into: […] his son the scribe of the treasury in the temple of Amun, Panakhtenopet”. He also chose to replace the bouquet of Amun by some long lotus and papyrus stems.

Next, we find six sons and grandsons of Djehuty arranged on two sub-registers: on top, the first one, whose image underwent a carving and effacing attempt, is “His son, Panakhtenopet, true of voice” () who brings a wooden crate on which is positioned a basket of grapes, as well as the inevitable lotuses. He is followed by “His son, Userhatnakht, true of voice”, who in turn holds a basket containing figs (). Following is “the son of his daughter, Amenemopenakht” who makes two interesting and original offerings: some pomegranates braided onto a central stem fitted with a handle, and some fish placed on a mat. Although they are of popular consummation, the fish, without doubt considered as too common, is only rarely represented amongst the funerary offerings.
The first personage of the bottom sub-register is “His son Unnefer” who brings some grapes and flowers, followed by the “son of his daughter Panebenopet” who is also depicted bringing grapes and a duck. Finally comes “The son of his daughter Suti, true of voice, named Khensniuaa”, who in turn carries a calf in his arms.

b) - Right side

A well furnished offering table stands in front of a couple sitting down (). The beginning of the original accompanying text, written for Djehuty and his mother (?), is inscribed in painted hieroglyphs ()  : “All offerings originating/derived from the altar of Amun-Ra at Karnak, in the flow/run of each day, for the ka of the [supervisor of the textile workers/weavers, who] is appreciated by his lord, firm…” The ending of the text was removed for it to be replaced by that of Djehutyemheb, traced in monochrome hieroglyphs: “The superior of the makers of fine linen in the temple of Amun, Djehutyemheb, true of voice; his sister, the chantress of Amun, Bakkhonsu, true of voice”. The man carries to his nostrils an enormous lotus flower (that replaces the pre-existing bouquet of Amun) and grasps in his other hand a piece of folded fabric.