ticketsMember | Make a donation

Queen Nefertari Playing Senet

Original New Kingdom, Ramesside
ca. 1279–1213 B.C.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 135
Nefertari was the Great Royal Wife, or principal queen, of Ramesses II. Her importance to the king is evident in the monuments he created to honor her. At Abu Simbel, the Ramesses constructed a small rock-cut temple for her next to his own and, for her burial, he commissioned a beautifully painted tomb in what is now called the Valley of the Queens.

This facsimile copies of one of the paintings from Nefertari's tomb. In this vignette, the queen sits in front of a table playing a game of senet again an invisible opponent. This was a popular game in life, but when represented in a tomb, as here, it has symbolic meaning. The word senet means "passing" and the game was seen as a parallel to the journey into the afterlife and the obstacles one had to overcome on the way.

In the scene, Nefertari wears an elaborately pleated and fringed gown of sheer linen. She also wears a gold bracelet, a broad collar, and what are probably silver earrings. On her head is the vulture headdress of a queen. The facsimile was painted at the tomb in 1921-1922 by Nina deGaris Davies who was a member of the Graphic Section of the Museum's Egyptian Expedition.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Queen Nefertari Playing Senet
  • Artist: Nina de Garis Davies (1881–1965)
  • Period: Original New Kingdom, Ramesside
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 19
  • Reign: reign of Ramesses II
  • Date: ca. 1279–1213 B.C.
  • Geography: Original from Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Valley of the Queens (Biban el-Malikat), Tomb of Nefertari (QV 66)
  • Medium: Tempera on paper
  • Dimensions: Facsimile: H. 43 cm (16 15/16 in); W. 46 cm (18 1/8 in); scale 1:2; Framed: H. 45.5 cm (17 15/16 in.); W. 49 cm (19 5/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1930
  • Object Number: 30.4.145
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Game Box for Playing Senet and Twenty Squares, Ivory, copper alloy, modern wood
Game Box for Playing Senet and Twenty Squares
ca. 1635–1458 B.C.
Gameboard and Gaming Pieces, Faience, modern wood
Gameboard and Gaming Pieces
ca. 1550–1295 B.C.
Game Box Inscribed for Taia and His Family, Wood
Game Box Inscribed for Taia and His Family
ca. 1550–1295 B.C.
Moving a Stone Block, Tomb of Rekhmire, Nina de Garis Davies, Paper, tempera paint, ink
Moving a Stone Block, Tomb of Rekhmire
Nina de Garis Davies
ca. 1504–1425 B.C.
Stone Cutters Measuring a Block, Tomb of Rekhmire, Nina de Garis Davies, Paper, tempera paint, ink
Stone Cutters Measuring a Block, Tomb of Rekhmire
Nina de Garis Davies
ca. 1504–1425 B.C.

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

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.