Through the Eras

MusicDepiction of musicians at a banquet. Mural from the tomb of Rekhmire, vizier under Thutmosis III and Amenophis II, Eighteenth Dynasty.The woman on the left is playing a double-reeded wind instrument while the woman on the right plucks a stringed instrument.© ERICH LESSING/ART RESOURCE, NY.musicians at banquets were seated and separated fromthe dancers. New Kingdom scenes depict standing musicianswho tap their feet in time to the music. They oftenstand near the dancers rather than being separatedinto a different register. Their fingers seem to move overthe strings and some even sway in time to the music.All of these changes suggest that New Kingdom musicat banquets was much livelier than the music played inearlier times.MUSICIANS’ CLOTHING AT NEW KINGDOM BAN-QUETS. Female musicians dressed in a much greater varietyof clothing during the New Kingdom than they didduring the Old Kingdom. In the Old Kingdom, femalemusicians wore a tight sheath dress with straps. This outfit,in fact, was commonly worn by almost all womenduring the Old Kingdom, including nobles and goddesses.The greater variety of dress types available in theNew Kingdom was exploited by musicians, too. In theearlier representations from the time of Thutmose III(1479–1425 B.C.E.), some female musicians are depictedin the old style of sheath dress. The harpist and luteplayer in the tomb of Rekhmire, for example, both wearthis older attire as do the harpist and double oboe playerin the tomb of Amenemhet. Yet in the contemporarytomb of Wah, a lute player and an oboe player each wearloose-fitting, transparent gowns with only a girdle ofbeads around the waist. It is difficult to determine if thisinstance of nudity indicates lower social status. They alsowear headbands and a single lotus flower over the forehead.In the tomb of Djeserkaresoneb, decorated duringthe reign of Thutmose IV (1400–1390 B.C.E.), four femalemusicians are depicted playing the harp, lute, doubleoboe, and lyre. The harpist wears a white linen dresswith a striped shawl that is knotted at the waist to holdArts and Humanities Through the Eras: Ancient Egypt (2675 B.C.E.–332 B.C.E.) 167