Ramose was a Governor of Thebes
and Vizier
during the 18th
Dynasty during the reigns of Amenophis
III and Amenophis
IV (Akhenaton, the heretic king). There are no
children seen in any of the decorations of his tomb, so we
assume he and his wife, Meryet-ptah were childless. We believe
his father to have been Neby, who served in northern Egyp as a
superintendent of Amen's cattle and in the delta as the
temple's superintendent of the granary. His mother was
Apuya.
Ramose's tomb in the general region of the Tombs
of the Nobles, specifically at Sheikh Abd el-Qurna on the West
Bank at Luxor
(ancient Thebes) is well done for a private tomb, particularly
considering that many of the scenes are in relief. It is also
fairly large for a private tomb. The tomb was first made known
to the modern world by Villiers Stewart in 1879, who returned
to do more work on the tomb in 1882. Gaston Maspero
continued the work of Stewart, but it was Robert Mond, working
for the Metropolitan Museum of Art who restored the tomb to
its present condition in 1924.
The tomb was unfinished, probably because Romose started
construction on a new one at Amarna
when his pharaoh moved the capital to his new city. But
because of these changing times, the tomb is significant in
that the artwork begins to show the transition to the new
artistic style of Amarna. Also, because it was
abandoned, it gives Egyptologists evidence on the different
stages of carving and decorating a tomb.
This tomb, numbered TT 55, is traditional in its T-shaped
design. One enters by a split stairway with a center
ramp that leads into the courtyard, both of which are outside
the tomb proper. From there a short stairway leads to a
large hypostyle hall with 32 columns. This was the only room
in the tomb that was decorated, though the rooms behind it
were prepared for decorations. Of the columns that once graced
this hall, six were usurped in antiquity and completely cut
away. Most of the decorations funeral process. As we enter
this hall turning left, we find a portrait of a guest at
Ramose funeral banquet, including his mother, father, brother
and sister-in-law. Note that most of these reliefs are
unpainted with the exception of the eyes. Many scholars
feel this particular scene represents one of the best pieces
of ancient art to be found in the world. Every curl of a wig,
bead of a necklace and soft fold of a garment is rendered in
skilled detail.

Guest at the Funeral Banquet
Turning the corner, on the next wall is the funeral
procession. The first scene is the only painted scene in
the entire tomb (not relief), and shows servants carrying the
burial riches of the deceased. In the next scene on this
wall, a group of women with arms stretched to the heavens morn
the loss of Ramose. This scene is considered a masterpiece of
18th dynasty art, portraying a real feeling of grief. But note
that as we continue, their is less detail in the unfinished
reliefs, and even some scenes that were only to the stage of
being sketched.
On the left rear wall of the hypostyle hall is a scene of
Ramose before Akhenaton and the goddess Ma'at,
making offerings of flowers, while on the right rear wall the
first scene is of Ramose being awarded the "gold of
honor" by Akhenaton and his wife, Nefertiti. The second
scene on this wall is of Ramose receiving a foreign delegation
and also receiving flowers from the Temple.
There are no decorations on the next (west) wall. On the
right front wall of this hall, we first encounter a scene
depicting priests before the deceased and his family, along
with a ritual list of magical offerings. Next comes a
scene with three maidens with sistra before Ramose and his
wife, purifying the deceased's statue. The last scene is one
of Ramose, his wife and bearers of offerings burning
incense.
This hyperstyle hall leads to a second hall with eight
columns, which in turn leads to the chapel at the rear of the
tomb. However, this rear section of the tomb is currently
closed.

References:
| Title |
Author |
Date |
Publisher |
Reference
Number |
| Guide to the Valley of the
Kings |
Siliotti, Alberto |
1997 |
Barnes & Noble Books |
ISBN 0-7607-0483-x |
| Oxford History of Ancient
Egypt, The |
Shaw, Ian |
2000 |
Oxford University Press |
ISBN 0-19-815034-2 |
| Valley of the Kings |
Weeks, Kent R. |
2001 |
Friedman/Fairfax |
ISBN 1-5866-3295-7 |
Archives
|