The Griffith Institute
University of Oxford
Bersha Watercolours
Tomb of Djehutihotep

GI w&d 150


Tomb of Djehutihotep

GI w&d 151


Tomb of Djehutihotep

GI w&d 152


The Tomb of Djehutihotep at Deir el-Bersha. Hall. West Wall.
Lower scene | Djehutihotep observing boats and stocktake of cattle

Reconstruction with Griffith Institute Watercolours

Djehutihotep is shown overseeing the annual stocktake of cattle within the Hare nome, which was an important occasion when the health and fertility of the herd were on parade displaying the wealth and status of the district. Djehutihotep is seated on a chair within a kiosk and is observing four registers containing activities related to the stocktake. In the top register several rowing and sailing boats are shown arriving for the event, including Djehutihotep himself in his dahabîya which is being towed by a rowing boat.

The next three registers show groups of calves led by herdsmen and feisty bulls locking horns, an orderly line of far more sedate looking bulls, each decorated with a brightly coloured neck band and hooves painted to match, and in the bottom register groups of long-horned cows with their calves are being kept in good order by herdsmen wielding sticks ahead and behind them.


Griffith Institute w&d 151 and 152 & Newberry, P. E. El Bersheh i, pl. xviii (line drawing)
© Griffith Institute Watercolours & Drawings Project | Deir el-Bersha
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We are indebted to our Griffith Institute Research Volunteers, Lee Young and John Wyatt, who compiled the catalogue for these watercolours, and also to Dr Jaromir Malek, former Keeper of the Griffith Institute Archive, who initiated the cataloguing and digitization of this collection. Helen Murray, the first Keeper of the Archive, accessioned, numbered and arranged the watercolours in their present order.

The digitization of the watercolours was carried out by Jenni Navratil, the Institute's Digital Imaging Officer, assisted by Hana Navratilova. Francisco Bosch-Puche, Alison Hobby and Cat Warsi have all made significant contributions to all stages of this project. Elizabeth Fleming edited the final catalogue and designed the web page content.

A special thank you is extended to our colleagues at the Egypt Exploration Society in London for permission to use the line drawings published in Percy E. Newberry's El Bersheh i, The tomb of Tehuti-hetep [1894].