The Pharaoh Amenophis IV – Akhenaten decides, in the year 4 of
his reign, to break with the Theban priesthood. He orders the
construction of a new capital in Middle Egypt, dedicated to the god
Aten, Akhetaten (lit. “the horizon of the disk”, currently Tel
el-Amarna). The city takes shape between year 5 and year 8, with the
court installing themselves around the royal family.
Twenty-five rock cut tombs of noble dignitaries of the reign of
Akhenaten have been recovered from there. Among them, the one of Ay , one of the most influential characters of kingdom.
THE TOMB, IN GENERAL
Located in the southern group of tombs, the tomb of Ay bears
the number 25. It was discovered in 1883 by Hay, filled with a great
deal of broken pottery and later burials. It was only cleared entirely,
ten years later, in 1893.
The tomb is located further to the west than others belonging to
this group; two roads lead towards it from the city (see the satellite
views It could have laid claim to the title of the most beautiful
tomb of the necropolis by its size and the quality of its reliefs, but
today it is badly damaged (the damage dates from the iconoclastic wave
of 1890), and this title would more aptly apply currently to the tomb
of Meryra
This is why, in order to provide the most complete survey
possible, the present state of the tomb will not be solely taken into
account, but will mainly be based on the descriptions provided by its
discoverers at the end of the 19th century: the texts were studied
notably by Hay and Lepsius, Norman de Garis Davies, thereafter creating a
good summary of all the information known about the tomb.
The cartouches of the god Aten, represented on the reliefs,
permit rough dating of the construction of the tomb: the form of the
god’s names is prior to the change of these names, which would have
taken place in year 9 of the reign. Therefore, the tomb seems have been
created before that date. As with the other tombs of the necropolis
of Amarna, it is incomplete. This generalised interruption again seems
to be explained as mainly due to political instability: from year 12,
knowledge of the events of the reign are clouded.
However, it is astonishing to note the state of incompleteness
of the tomb. Being created for a very high status character, and knowing
that the time at which it was started should have permitted (as a
priority) the finishing of the tomb, it should have been in a more
advanced state. Certainly, the history of the Amarnian reign becomes
clouded towards year 12, but this should still have it allowed at least
three years of work, and probably more, because it is unlikely that
construction of the tombs suddenly stopped in year 12. In truth, none
of the tombs located at Amarna are complete: the decoration of the
walls often remained incomplete, and in some monuments the main chamber
was only partially excavated (as with that of Ay). Only two tombs show
that they were fully excavated and ready to receive their owners: the
sanctuaries of Any and Huyas. It is therefore not possible to advance a
reliable hypothesis to explain this mystery concerning the
incompleteness of the tombs. Nevertheless it is clear by the plan that
the tomb of Ay was conceived as the greatest and most important, an
indubitable indication of its owner’s status at Court.
THE PERSON
The tomb was begun while Ay was still only a high dignitary.
Among his titles, mentioned repeatedly in different places of the tomb : – “Beloved scribe of the King” – “Standard-bearer at the King’s right hand” – “Chief of the whole cavalry of his Majesty” – and numerous common epithets, such as : – “Friend of the King” and – “Main companion of the King”.
He also carried the title of “Father of the God” (jt netjer) ; this important title is a topic of controversy. Otto
Schaden proposed that it should be given as “guardian” (which only
makes sense when Ay becomes the “regent” to young king Tutankhamun),
Borchardt offers “Father-in-law of the King”. The last interpretation
would have made Ay the father-in-law of Akhenaten, therefore the father
of the queen Nefertiti. However, the thesis according to which Ay and
his wife Tiy were the parents of Nefertiti could never be supported by
proof, although the title of Tiy, “nurse of the queen Nefertiti”, could
be interpreted in this sense. These important responsibilities were
maintained under the reign of Tutankhamun, before Ay himself becomes
Pharaoh after his death (Ay’s royal tomb in the Valley of the Kings
bears the number KV23, and is already on OsirisNet).
Having lived and occupied important responsibilities under the
reigns of Akhenaten, Smenkhkare and Tutankhamun before becoming king in
his turn, Ay can be seen as an excellent witness and participant at the
time of the Aten revolution and the religious restoration. His tomb
in Amarna is especially revealing with aesthetics and religious
sensitivity to Akhetaten under the reigns of Akhenaten and Nefertiti.
ARCHITECTURE OF THE TOMB
This is a rock-cut tomb; in all, twenty-five such tombs have
been brought to light to date in Amarna (plus another eighteen smaller,
but unnumbered ones). From the classification by Jacques Vandier, five main groups can be distinguish according to the plans : –
The first three are variants of the cruciform group, with two large
rooms connected by a corridor. For example, the tomb of Meryra II, the
person responsible of the apartments of the great royal wife Nefertiti. – The fourth group corresponds to the plan in the form of a “T” with a corridor and room with perpendicular columns. –
The last group is one for special cases. For example, the tomb of Any
(n°23), secretary of the king, with a descending staircase, a small
passage, a long corridor and a niche with a cult statue.
The tomb of Ay belongs to the “T”-form group, except that it
includes a greater number of columns than normal and in close proximity
to each other. It should be noted that the main central axis
from the entrance lies neither north-south nor west-east, so referencing
the walls by the conventional compass points could be misleading (see
the plan,
below). But, as the axis places the entrance more nearly facing west,
then this orientation will be used here, the central entry axis
therefore being accepted as west to east.
The inscribed surfaces are the outside of the tomb, the entry
corridor; in the pillared hall: part of the west wall, the ceiling and
the columns, and the axial door at the rear on the east wall.
1) – The Entrance
A broad approach path leads down a gentle slope to a traditional
style entry, though its great size is that befitting such a grand tomb. An entrance corridor was created through the thick wall of rock, leading to a pillared chamber Only
a little more than half of this chamber has been completed. Twelve
columns in three rows of four are on the left-hand side of the central
aisle, and only three have been completed on the right-hand side. Red
lines up to the ceiling reveal the work of excavation in progress. The
thickness of the columns as well as their unaccustomed closeness to
each other should be noted; the room is a forest of columns between
which it is uncomfortable to move. The only openness being afforded
along the central axis, directly in front of the entry, and the first
transverse aisle leading to an incomplete doorway at the western end of
the north wall. The entrance corridor measures roughly 2.30m x
1.40m. As for the room itself, it measures a little over 8m across and
little over 11m in length; according to the plans given by Norman of
Garis Davies (knowing that the initial plan counted twenty-four
columns) that the foreseen length would have been of more than 18m.
2) – The columns
The creation of the columns is only partially completed – only the four situated close to the door are actually finished. These
are of the most common type in the necropolis, closed papyriform, and
they present the usual Amarnian iconography: on the main body, small
scenes represent Ay and Tiy adoring the cartouches of Aten and those of
the royal couple . The scenes of the first pair are obliquely
positioned in relation to the entry, then the following ones are as
normally found, at right angles in relation to the central axis. The
representations are engraved and painted in blue. The rest of the
columns remain white The architraves are inscribed, the abacuses of the four finished columns carry the titles of Ay.
3) – The ceiling
This is decorated in the traditional way with geometric motifs, and inscribed with hieroglyphic text It
is completed, which reveals that the traditional way to start the
construction of a rock-cut tomb was with the ceiling, rather than
afterwards Norman of Garis Davies mentions a wine-coloured
background with a prevailing blue bead-pattern, contrasting with the
whiteness of the columns.
4) – The rest of the tomb
Two more doorways were created in the pillared hall, one at the
northern end (the left-hand side of the chamber on entry), the second
facing the entry. Neither of the doorways were progressed further than
the rudimentary outer surrounds and only the second is inscribed
Because no second chamber was provided (typical of other uncompleted
Amarna tombs, such the one of Meryra I – tomb n°4), a descending flight
of twenty-nine of steps were roughly hewn in the north-east corner of
the room. The steps turn sharply to the right near the bottom, leading
into a rough cut hole, found almost filled with flint boulders. There
is no trace of this being made use of for a burial.
SCENES AND INSCRIPTIONS
In the Amarnian tombs, the only independent figures of the
deceased are found at the entrance. Apart from this, they seem to only
appear in solemn ceremonies where they receive rewards from the royal
family. In general, the walls have more representations of the king
and his family, than of the deceased and his entourage. This is due to
the fact that the royal family symbolises the tie between these deceased
and Aten, becoming the intermediary through whom they pay homage.
Five major themes are found in the Amarnian burials: the royal
family in worship in front of the Aten, the royal family in intimacy,
the visit to the temple by the royal couple by chariot, the reward of
the high commissioners, and the receipt of tributes.
According to E.-L. Meyers, the decorative program of Amarnian
civil tombs institutes a clean division between politics and religion. Thus,
the entrance corresponds to the passage between life outside and the
funeral world. A “political” chamber shows the deceased in his
terrestrial status (rewards for civil servants, civil ceremonies).
Another chamber, “funeral and religious”, contains representations
connected to the worship of Aten. In a single chamber, a divide is
instituted between the scenes, according to their disposition in the
room: a single theme and composition is developed on a wall, but it may
not be directly related to the next section of the wall. Instead of
compositions arranged from various traditional and canonical elements
which would be juxtaposed, each wall is considered as a whole and
decorated according to innovating themes in a unique composition. The
decoration of an Amarnian civil tomb develops a political, funerary and
religious program therefore, as manifested perfectly by the tomb of Ay.
THE OUTSIDE OF THE TOMB
Outside, the framing of the door is traditional, but the lintel
is damaged and weather-worn, making the scene representing the king and
the queen followed by the three princesses, adoring Aten, difficult to
distinguish.
The texts on the uprights, either side of the doorway, contain
prayers written on six vertical columns, the upper portions (like the
lintel) are also damaged. . At the bottom of each is a panel
representing Ay and his wife on their knees. The texts present the
titulatures of Aten, the king and queen, and constitute a prayer “For
the ka of the good god’s favourite, the standard bearer at the
right-hand of the king, the true scribe of the king, whom he loves, the
divine father, Ay, that he may live eternally.”. The phrases then take
up the theme of the Great Hymn to the Aten : “The living Aten comes, the
one who gives birth to himself every day. The land is in festival when
you rise …”
THE ENTRANCE CORRIDOR
1) – The interior door-jambs
The interior door-jambs are almost entirely destroyed. It is necessary therefore to use the summaries made by Hay and Lepsius . The
beginning of the texts starts with the titulatures of the Aten and the
royal couple, founds enumerated on the outer door-jambs, then the
inscriptions contain a speech uttered by Ay, an autobiographic means for
expounding his own qualities : “I was a favourite of his majesty
in every-day matters. My rewards were greater in each year than in the
previous because of of the exceeding importance of my excellence in his
heart. He multiplies for me my rewards like the grains of sand, because
I am the chief of the great ones and head of the Rekhyt. Ay, justified, says : ‘I
was told the truth, free from insolence. My fame reached the palace,
as being useful to the king, and obedient to his teachings […]. O
all you who live on land, every generation which is born, I affirm to
you this way of life, I bear witness to you of the rewards! Would that
you might read my name because of that which I did; (because) I was
just on the land […]’.”
2) – North wall of the entrance corridor
This wall provides an example of the frequent representation of the
worship of Aten by the royal family . The wall has suffered greatly at
the top through exposure and, as can be seen, by damage caused by
plunderers in antiquity. The king and queen (who was wearing the
atef-crown) are followed by the three princesses. Still distinguishable
in the upper register is the queen’s sister, princess Mutnedjemet (or
Mutbeneret, depending on the reading of the vertical sign, ‘ndm’ or
‘bnr’), accompanied by her two dwarfs and courtiers. The dwarfs, who
can also be found with her on the west wall of the tomb, have names
which, according to Norman of Garis Davies, may have been chosen in
jest : the first, a woman according to the determinative of the name,
is designated as “the vizier of the queen, Erneheh”, the second, a man,
is “the vizier of his mother, Para”.
The lower part of the wall is occupied by a long prayer, at
bottom-right of which are the kneeling figures of Ay and Tiy. The text
once more combines the praises to Aten, in a style suitable for the
Great Hymn, along with praise of the deceased, which aims to confer on
them the benevolence of the god
“When he rises in the sky, he rejoices at his son; he
embraces him with his rays; he gives him eternity as king like the Aten,
Neferkheperure Waenre, my god who made me and who brought into being my
ka. [… …] The divine father, the standard bearer at the right-hand of
the king, chief of all of the cavalry of his Majesty, true scribe of the
king, whom he loves, Ay, said : ‘I was faithful towards the king …’ “.
3) – South wall of the entrance corridor
The inner part of this wall (that which would not be covered by the
open door) is taken up with thirteen long columns of text. As on the
opposite wall, there is a representation of kneeling figures of Ay and
Tiy adoring Aten . They give a good example of the Amarnian style,
modelled in soft accentuated curves. The faces are rather badly
preserved, but the elegance of the figures is noticeable : the play
with the transparency of the dress; the collars, bracelets and braided
hair, are all detailed with precision. The Hymn to the Aten
The text of this wall acquired the name of ‘Great Hymn to the Aten’. In spite of the present deterioration of the wall, it represents the most complete copy known Fortunately it was copied by U. Bouriant at the end of the 19th century, before being partially destroyed in 1890 The
Great Hymn to the Aten is reputed to have been written by Akhenaten
himself. It describes, in minute detail, the beneficial and universal
action of the sun. It represents ten to twelve stanzas, dedicated to two
predominant themes: the daily cycle of the sun, and the revelation of
the god to his “son” Akhenaten.
Five abridged versions (called the Small Hymn to Aten) have been
found, some in other burials of the dignitaries of Amarna : tomb n°4 of
Meryra I, n°8 of Tutu, n°9 of Mahu, n°10 of Apy and n°23 of Any. It
is possible that the hymns to Aten constituted liturgical texts,
intended to be recited at the time of worship in the temples of
Akhetaten. They possess a rhythmic metre analogous to that of western
poetry. A hieroglyphic transcription of the Great Hymn is found on
There is a full translation in the article ” Akhenaten and the religion
of Aten”.
4) – The ceiling
Although the decorative patterns of the entrance corridor are no
longer discernible, the three inscriptions bands are still legible, in
part
A. South text band of the entrance ceiling
This band is interrupted at the beginning (although no text is lost) by the pivot hole for the door. “Praise
to you, O living Aten, who made the sky [and the hidden things?] which
are therein. […] His time is lengthened (?) by a million sed-festivals.
The Great Royal Wife, his beloved, the Mistress of the Two Lands,
Nefertiti, who lives forever and ever, is at the side of Waenre. Grant
to me a beautiful burial, as the one that he made in the great cliff of
Akhetaten. For the Ka of the favoured […] the just scribe […], Ay, who
lives anew.”
B. Middle text band
“Praise to you, O living Aten. He rises and gives life to
all that he surrounds, who made the land and grazing to give life to all
that he created [… …] Grant that he flourishes forever like yourself.
[… …]the royal scribe, Father of the God, Ay, […]”
C. North text band
“Praise to you, the living Aten, the God who made this in
its entirety. Although you are in the sky, your rays are on the land […]
Waenre, whom you love, […] who is descended from your rays, the son of
the sun, Akhenaten […]”
THE PILLARED HALL
1 – Pillar abacuses and ceiling architraves
As stated previously, the abacuses of the four finished columns
carry the titles of Ay. The summaries made by Lepsius (Denkmaler III,
105 d and e, and Denkmaler Text II p.145) concerning those of the
western pair, mention : “The bearer of the fan at the right hand of
the king, the one who remains in the heart of the king in the entire
country, the one who satisfies the heart of his Lord, the true scribe of
the king whom he loves, the divine father, Ay, who lives eternally.”
The architraves are inscribed, as well as the ceiling. The
inscriptions represent long prayers to the Aten and wishes of benefits
for the ka of Ay, such as : “Praise to you, O living Aten, who created
the sky and the mysterious things which are found in it! […] Grant me a
beautiful burial, like all those that you make in the beautiful hills
of Akhetaten.”
2) – The ceiling texts
A – South band
.
“Praise to you, [your apparitions (?)] are beautiful, O
living Aten, dispenser of life. Grant that you can see the rays of Ra
when he rises and gives light to the entry of your tomb. May you inhale
the soft breath of the north wind. May your body […] with graced life; a
favoured one who has reached an advanced age with favours; a righteous
one who has has done the bidding of his master’s words. You were chief
among the favourites of the king. In the same way you are at the head of
the glorified dead. May you take changing forms as a living Ba in the
noble cliff of Akhetaten. May you go out and return according to the
desire of your heart in. May your rank be proclaimed on earth may you be
provided with wealth next to your god, following your heart according
to your desire. May your tomb be in festival every day. May you reach a
honoured old age, happy and in peace; and at the end, this funeral and
internment and a closeness to the king Waenre I was a servant who was
adopted by his master and whom he buried; because my mouth held the
truth. How glorious is he who does his teaching. May he reach the region (necropolis) of
the favoured. For the ka of the favourite of the good god, true of
heart towards him who opened his heart to him, abandoning the lie (?) to
do what is just, a favourite who has attained favour [then follows the titles], Ay, justified
B – North band
.
”May you adore Ra whenever he rises; may you see him, and
may he listen to what you say. May he grant breath to you, and may he
unite you with your limbs. May you go out and in like a favourite of
his. May your body thrive and your name live on […] for your ka. May you
inhale the breath of the north wind. May there be given to you
offerings and provisions ; may you receive loaves of the King’s giving,
bread and beer and provisions for all of your shrines. May your name
fare well on your tomb; may each generation as it arises call upon you.
May you rest in your tomb of the King’s gift in the necropolis of
Akhetaten, (and) may there be made a invocatory offering of bread and
beer for your ka. May you secure your everlasting resting place; may
your eternal mansion receive you. May an ox draw you (i.e. to the tomb) ;
may an embalmer and a lector priest walk in front of you, purifying the
funeral bark with milk, their number being such as the King Waenre
decrees for a favourite whom he has promoted. May he bring you to the
resting-place of the elect as one who has completed his life in a good
way. May your tomb be in festival every day, according to your plans
when you were alive. It is your god who has furthered them for you, the
living Aten, lord of eternity, and they are established to endless
eternity for a righteous man, free from doing falsehood. For the ka of the favourite, [etc.], Ay, justified.”
C – Middle band
.
“Praise to you when you rise on the horizon, O Aten, Horus
of the two horizons! You will not fail to see Ra; open your eyes to
behold him. When thou pray to him may he hear what you say. May the
breath of life enter into your nostrils. Laying on your right side, may
you lay yourself on your left side. May your ba be happy in the
necropolis. May the children of your house offer to you bread, beer,
water and air for your ka. May you travel freely to the gates of the
underworld. May you see Ra at dawn when he rises on the eastern horizon,
and may you see Aten when he sets on the western horizon of the sky.
May there be given to you offerings and provisions from the altars of
the house of Aten; may there be given to you incense and libations from
the main alter of Aten by the King, the son of the Aten, who has decreed
it to you for ever. May you receive it and go forth in his presence
every day without fail. May you receive abundance in the necropolis. May
your ba rest in your tomb: may your soul not be repulsed from its
desires, but be satisfied with the daily offerings. May your heart’s
desires be lasting, your heart preserving itself at the side of the lord
of eternity. May your name be mentioned every day for ever and ever,
like that which is done for a favourite deceased, worthy even as you
are. For the ka of one constantly in favour in the presence of the Lord of the Two Lands, the god’s father, Ay, justified.”
Clearly, these excerpts are monotonous in tone. Taken at face
value, they suggest that the speaker, Ay, absorbed the king’s teachings,
obeyed these without question, praised Akhenaten … otherwise he kept
his mouth shut. Listen to the words of Ay himself elsewhere in the
tomb : “I was beneficial because of my closed mouth”.
3) – The west wall
The west wall represents a unique theme, the reward ceremony of Ay, by the king. The event is divided into multiple sub-events.
In this, the tomb of Ay is quite characteristic of the Amarnian
civil burials (similar scenes being found in the neighbouring tombs,
such as those of Parennefer and Tutu). The essential scenes are those of
the journey of the king and his family by chariot or the distribution
of rewards to high dignitaries from the window of appearances.
Everything is represented in a great wealth of detail, regarding the
characters, the places and the activities. The scene is generally
characterised by great animation, of multiple characters behaving in
contrasting ways.
The scene is dominated by the window of
appearances, with the royal couple and three princesses. Behind them
spreads the meticulous representation of the palace. In front of them
the crowd, led by Ay and Tiy, is composed of dignitaries, foreigners,
soldiers and dancers. At the extreme right, Ay leaves the palace after
the reward, received by his friends to whom he shows the presents
received. A – The Palace
At the extreme left of the wall, level with the entrance door, the palace is represented in a great deal of detail. The
presentation is not complete because the wall was not completed in its
southern part, the scenes of palace should have spread towards the left
on the non excavated part.
The building includes multiple rooms: a chamber with large
columns, hallways, small rooms, warehouses with servants preparing food,
and a courtyard.
The only completed section of the south part of this wall
exists on the lintel over the entrance. This shows two mirrored,
self-contained buildings, centred equally on the lintel. The two
pictures are separated by a vacant space where the sky is seen to
terminate in an unusual way from either direction. Beneath the
termination, in each case, are two trees (four in total), in which
Maspero sees the mythological sycamores, while Norman of Garis Davies
describes them as a simple corner of the palatial garden; could it not
be a combination of these two interpretations, one not excluding the
other for the Egyptians.
On either side of the centre there are two
self-contained buildings. One contains two rooms entered from outside;
apparently (from the contents) it comprises a store-house and larder, in
which servants sit round at their ease preparing and eating food. The
other, larger building appears to represent the harem or that part of it
assigned to the female servants or slaves; for only women are seen in
it and guards stand outside the doors. These rooms were maintained by
eunuchs. The women are both Egyptian and foreign, which can be implied
from the plaits of those on the first floor, the plaits being a
hairstyle of foreign origin, Hittite or Syrian. This harem is composed
of two parts including in each case a room with a column and two small
chambers. The women are represented playing music (from which can be
identified: a lyre, a lute and a harp) and dancing. One of them eats
while another dresses the hair of her companion. It shows a good example
of the development of the daily scenes and intimacy in the Amarnian
representations. These women could equally belong to the queen’s
household, than just being secondary wives of Akhenaten : it is known
that he had married the daughter of the king of the Mitanni, Tadukhepa. B – The reward ceremony
On the right-hand side of the representation of the palace, the presentations to Ay and Tiy take place
The royal couple and three princesses are at the window of
appearances, surmounted by the Aten disk. The queen’s sister is
relegated to the background, with her dwarfs (unfortunately, none of
them can be seen on either the photo or the line drawing). An
astonishing and unique fact: at least as far as can be seen, the whole
royal family appear to be naked. For the small princesses this is
nothing out of the ordinary, but this was not the custom for the king
and the queen. There are no apparent traces of paint, which would have
represented the clothes and which could have faded away. The rest of the
reliefs are finished, which leaves a question without an answer…
The royal family present rewards to Ay and Tiy. It should be noted
that it is quite unusual for the wife to be present at the man’s side
at the time of the reward ceremony. The presence of Tiy is certainly
due to his high status and to her close ties with the royal family as
nurse for Nefertiti. The section of wall carrying the magnificent
representations of Ay and Tiy had been cut away by relic traffickers.
Fortunately, the block has now been recovered and is in the Cairo
museum
The couple are attended by two fat dignitaries, who help them
to gather the royal presents, amazingly represented as a shower of
gifts, not only thrown from the balcony by the king but also by the
queen and the small royal daughters. The necklaces pile up on the
shoulders of the couple and on the ground (with other gifts). Norman de
Garis Davies proposes these to be an enumeration, for which he doesn’t
rely on the texts, but on his own interpretation of the objects
represented : – 18 double gold bead necklaces, at least two with pectorals – 2 plain necklaces – 5 collars of ceramic faience – 6 bands, also probably faience – 4 golden goblets, two with a foot, two without – 2 metal vases – 5 signet rings – 12 pairs of plain armlets – 1 pair of gloves
This is the first representation of gloves known in Egyptian
art. This present is certainly appropriate for Ay, with the title of
“chief of the whole cavalry of his Majesty”. He is apparently very
satisfied, because no sooner has he left the palace, than he wears them
and shows them to his friends. As can be seen, the king occupies a major place on the walls in the Amarnian tombs. These representations develop a festive ambience centred on the royal family. In
fact they loose all religious appearance, since the god is represented
as the solar disk which illuminates the scenes. Nevertheless, surely,
the sense remained deeply religious, the king, along with the royal
family, serving as intercessor and mediator between the people and the
sun god. C – The spectator crowd
The crowd attending the scene is clearly represented in small
distinct groups, organised in superimposed registers. According to
Norman de Garis Davies, the upper register would represent the most
distant
At the top are the two royal chariots. Some foreigners are
represented on the second register according to traditional iconography:
Nubians, Libyans and Asians. They are accompanied by Egyptian
interpreters. On the third register are the scribes, soldiers and dignitaries, of which some watch over two small chests. The fourth register shows the standard-bearers and soldiers. At
the bottom of the wall, the dancers communicate their happy rhythm to
the crowd. They are located behind Ay and Tiy (and their accompanying
dignitaries). D – Exiting the palace
Ay leaves the palace, whose door is surmounted by the Aten disk; he
is covered with his jewelry rewards, and wearing the famous gloves Some servants follow him, carrying the remaining royal presents on trays. Ay is received by his friends who are delighted and prostrated. Three chariots wait to take them to their destination. The
group of Ay and his friends, as well as the characters cheering him a
little further away, have only been executed in black ink. The
necklaces are however drawn in red ink, as have also the bracelets and
the gloves, enhancing these remarkable objects, and maybe also
suggesting the precious materials.
Above are represented the guards of the palace, to whom young boys bring news of the ceremony. The
guard close to the door asks : “For whom is this rejoicing being made,
my boy ?” The boy answers : “The rejoicing is being made for Ay, the
father of the god, along with Tiy. They have been made people of gold !” Because
the second guard does not receive the news as quickly, he loses
patience and sends a boy to see what is happening while instructing him
to hurry. Another young boy has already informed the third guard, who
speaks with a friend and tells him what he knows. He tells him : “Rise
up and you will see : This is the good thing which Pharaoh has done for
Ay, the father of the god, and Tiy. Pharaoh has given them much gold
and all manner of riches !” The boys are more fortunate than the
guards in being able to leave their duties; so finally, a boy makes
another look after his stool and his small bag while he goes to see what
is happening. His friend answers him : “Don’t be long, or I’ll be off and keep them for myself !”.
These scenes constitute an example of this picturesque aspect
of Amarnian representations; next to the great main themes previously
quoted, there are often small amusing scenes, found in the margins of
the main scene but which actually confer a living and varied aspect to
the composition. E – The door at the end of the central axis
On the lintel, Ay and Tiy, positioned at either end, adore Aten, represented with his cartouches The
uprights are badly damaged, only part of the text remains, at the
bottom of which can be found the kneeling figures of Ay and Tiy.
CONCLUSION
The tomb of Ay comprises a typical example of what constitutes a
civil tomb in Amarna. Although incomplete, it is remarkable by its
size, the quality of its reliefs and because it contains the most
complete version known of the Great Hymn to the Aten. Its iconography
probably influenced the decoration of other tombs of the necropolis. It
is interesting to place it in context with the other tomb of Ay, KV23
(WV23) of the Valley of the Kings; together they constitute a witness
to the Aten epic and the return to orthodoxy based on the destiny of
one character.
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