The Artdog Image of Interest
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| Model bakery and brewery from the Tomb of Meketre (public domain; The Met) |
Our celebration of labor through art history continues, this week with a fascinating glimpse of two important allied culinary arts: baking bread and brewing beer in ancient Egypt.
This model, created during the Middle Kingdom period (1981-1975 BCE) was one of several fascinating models discovered in 1920 in the High Steward’s tomb, showing various types of work, including livestock-tending in a cattle stable and a cattle-count being performed, a granary complete with inventory-taking scribes, a traveling boat being rowed, a fishing scene, a weavers’ workshop, a carpentry shop, and a porch and garden. Tomb wall paintings from many different eras also depict subjects such as building, hunting, and harvesting.
For more information about the models in the Tomb of Meketre, you may enjoy this PDF from Brown University.
IMAGE: Many thanks to The Met (Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City) for this image of the model. There’s a whole collection of photos, not only more views of this model, but of other models from the same tomb, online. Cool stuff. Check it out!