Nefertari: Tomb Paintings

The spectacular paintings in Nefertari’s tomb were created by first applying several layers of plaster to the limestone and then carving the vignettes and texts into that plaster (McDonald 1996).  This established a suitable surface that could be primed with gypsum wash and then painted in brilliant colours (McDonald 1996).

The paintings cover about 520 square metres of plastered walls and ceilings with various corridors, annexes, chambers, niches, and recesses.  The paintings are part of a ritual process designed to guide Nefertari into the hereafter following her death.  Along with the texts adorning the walls, the paintings act as a beacon to aid her on her “long and perilous” journey (McDonald 1996).  Interestingly, the tomb is divided into two separate elements:  the upper level of the tomb (Chambers C and G) is the conceptual equivalent to the Akhet, the area that Nefertari and the solar deity must traverse to enter and exit the netherworld; the lower level (Burial Chamber K) is like the Duat, the realm of Osiris and the dead (McCarthy 2002).

Present in Nefertari’s tomb are certain deities believed to be vital actors in the journey to the netherworld.  The nine gods include (McDonald 1996):

Atum (the creator god)                  Nun (primeval ocean)
Shu (god of air and light)               Tefnut (goddess of moisture)
Geb (god of earth)                        Nut (goddess of the sky)
Isis                                               Osiris
Nephthys                                      Seth

The significance of Osiris is represented through several vignettes within the tomb.  It is thought that the dead need to identify with “Osiris, the ultimate model for their salvation and a protection against Seth, who [represents] hostile, chaotic forces that [imperil] a soul’s transformation into an effective, eternal spirit” (McDonald 1996).
Other divine deities are present throughout the tomb.  In the upper chambers (C and G) Nefertari, with her body preserved, is greeted by some of these deities who grant her a place in the afterlife.  Her descent into the burial chamber (chamber K) begins after she is fortified with occult powers and she then must secure immortality by successfully navigating the gates and portals of the netherworld.  Horus, son of Isis and dressed as officiating priest, restores Nefertari’s body after she meets the challenges.  At this point, Nefertari is joined by Osiris in her eternal resting place in the afterlife (McDonald 1996).