A Feast for Nebamun

Never mind perspective,
Never mind tradition,
See these ladies dancing!
Enjoy their rare position!

Sure, their eyes look forward
While their faces show in profile,
But observe their fluid movement -
They've got rhythm, they've got style.

For Nebamun, grain counter,
Not the highest nor the least
Who lived in ancient Egypt,
They are dancing at his feast.

The paintings, they are snapshots
Of the old accountant's life,
On Nebamun's tomb chapel walls;
The triumphs, without strife.

Another shows his garden,
Yet another hunting quail;
As witnesses to Nebamun's success
They cannot fail.

And here, behind each brushstroke,
The artist's life is signed,
Not by name but for posterity,
The ancient artist's mind.

poem © Celia Warren 2013

In the hierarchy of Ancient Egyptian art, painting is lower than carving - in convex relief, or even concave carving in stone, but to our modern eyes, it's still wonderful. These date from around 1300 BC. Note the position of the belly-button of one of the dancers - it's in three-quarter view perspective, while she is in profile, and her eye is drawn as if viewed from the front. Ancient Egyptian artists showed all sides of viewpoint, without the use of our modern sense of perspective. Note, too, that these paintings are not from the tomb of a pharaoh, but of an official - a middle-class ancient Egyptian.

(We arrived in London around midday and headed straight to our favourite venue: the British Museum. Caught a talk on Ancient Egyptian art. This is just one small detail from a number of wonderful tomb chapel wall paintings. Just amazing.)

Tomorrow it's birthday celebrations with our two June 'babies' as we plan a family meal out.