A Comparative Study of Workshop Scenes in Tombs of the Old Kingdom

The tomb paintings and reliefs of Ancient Egypt constitute a major source of evidence for the historical and cultural reconstruction of this fascinating civilisation, but the compilation and detailed analysis of both the iconographic and textual data contained in such scenes in one volume is seldom undertaken. This book focuses on one of the main themes illustrated - craftsmen at work - and uses an original micro-analytical approach to determine the key conventions of their representation. Industries such as boat building, carpentry, jewellery making, leatherwork, metalwork, sculpture and stone vessel making are examined. Particular emphasis is given to the postures and actions of the figures, their methods, tools and interactions, as well as their clothing, physical features and objects on which they work. A catalogue of scenes, some previously unpublished, is included, together with over 2,000 plans and line drawings, innovative isometric diagrams, text and translation summaries, and appendices.