Women at a Banquet
This detail of a banquet scene shows two female guests and a girl serving a liquid from a small flask. She is shown in an unusual pose with her back turned toward the viewer. The consumption of alcoholic beverages was a key element in many celebrations. In addition to social drinking, the participants of some festivals, such as the Beautiful Festival of the Valley, drank in excess to achieve an altered state of inebriation, disorientation, and sleepiness that was thought to enable communication with a deity or the dead. For this purpose, drugs might have also been served. Small flasks, such as the ones held by the servant on the left, might have held herbal concentrates that were added to wine to increase its effect. The accompanying inscription reads, "Make a happy day!"
Artwork Details
- Title: Women at a Banquet
- Artist: Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965)
- Period: Twentieth Century; original New Kingdom
- Dynasty: Dynasty 18
- Reign: reign of Thutmose III–early Amenhotep II
- Date: A.D. 1925; original ca. 1479–1425 B.C.
- Geography: Original from Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Tomb of Rekhmire (TT 100)
- Medium: Tempera on paper
- Dimensions: Image: H. 47.5 × W. 66.5 cm (18 11/16 × 26 3/16 in.), scale 1:1; Framed: 51.1 × 70.2 cm (20 1/8 × 27 5/8 in.)
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1930
- Object Number: 30.4.78
- Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Nina de Garis Davies
ca. 1504–1425 B.C.
Nina de Garis Davies
ca. 1504–1425 B.C.
Nina de Garis Davies
ca. 1479–1425 B.C.
Nina de Garis Davies
ca. 1504–1425 B.C.
Nina de Garis Davies
ca. 1479–1400 B.C.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.