Relief sculpture of harvest scene with donkeys

In this relief fragment five donkeys advance in a line, sacks tied on their backs. Four move obediently ahead, while the fifth bends its head down to munch greedily on an ear of grain. This delightful detail illustrates the mastery Egyptian sculptors achieved in the realm of animal art. It is admirable how the artist, even while respecting such conventions of Egyptian design as the legs shown in a staggered sequence and the single line of the donkeys' backs, was able to capture convincingly the quivering of the long ears and the facial expression of each of the beasts. Though the relief was highlighted with red, yellow, and green paint, the execution is rudimentary: for example, the background is treated unevenly and modeling is practically nonexistent. The emphasis is placed on the incised outlines of the figures. The fragment was part of a harvest scene, a theme often depicted in chapels. Arranged along several registers, such agricultural scenes showed the work cycle, from sowing to reaping. The wheat was destined for the table of the deceased, who was generously supplied with various breads and cakes. The upper part of this block displays the feet of the peasants who were shown bringing in the sheaves. One sheaf is carefully depicted to the left of the donkeys. It has the barbs characteristic of the fat wheat (Triticum turgidum) grown in ancient Egypt. A hieroglyphic caption reads, "balance of sheaves: 1,300." Once they were placed in sacks, the sheaves were transported on the backs of donkeys. The inscription "herd of donkeys" above the animals defines their nature, supplementing the properties of the image with the precision of language.