The Griffith Institute
University of Oxford
Bersha Watercolours
Tomb of Djehutihotep

GI w&d 148


Tomb of Djehutihotep

GI w&d 149


Tomb of Djehutihotep

GI w&d 162


The Tomb of Djehutihotep at Deir el-Bersha. Hall. East Wall.
Djehutihotep with female relatives

Reconstruction with Griffith Institute Watercolours

Tragically, the figure of Djehutihotep is almost completely lost from the left end of this wall scene, with only an edge of his kilt remaining. The figure of the great noble observed the daily activities of his estate, including agriculture and a variety of industries. In front of Djehutihotep stands a row of eleven of his female relatives who are met by two smaller rows containing his family's female attendants carrying fans and mirrors for their mistresses. The ladies are Djehutihotep's wife, mother, daughters and sisters, all attired in their finest clothing and wearing colourful bracelets, anklets and pectorals. In customary Egyptian style, several daughters hold a single lily flower to their noses to better appreciate their scent.

Below Djehutihotep and his family stands a row of male servants carrying objects that Djehutihotep might require on his tour of the estate, which includes a bow and arrows, shield, palanquin and the master's spotted dog.

The agricultural scenes in what remains of the uppermost registers illustrate the activities of each season: sowing seed using teams of oxen, threshing and winnowing; vintage scenes of tending, picking and squeezing grapes for wine; potters making vessels; kneading and baking bread; rope-making and weaving cloth. In the bottom register are Djehutihotep's three sons followed by the senior male attendants of the estate.


Griffith Institute w&d 148 and 149 & Newberry, P. E. El Bersheh i, pl. xxix (line drawing)
© Griffith Institute Watercolours & Drawings Project | Deir el-Bersha


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Griffith Institute w&d 162 & Newberry, P. E. El Bersheh i, pl. xxx (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 Newberry's El Bersheh i, The tomb of Tehuti-hetep [1894].