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 he
design featuring Nefertari that has been included in the House
of Pharaoh sculpture range has its origins in chamber G of
her tomb and illustrates the queen in a pose of worship. She
wears a broad collar that would indicate the use of gold and
carnelian in the craftsmanship with lapis used in her bracelets.
A flowing pleated garment was an enduring fashion trait of
the era to be worn with a golden sash around the waist. The
tall twin plumed vulture crown of the goddess Mut soars above
her head and is indicative of her role as a living mother
goddess.
 efertari
was the principal wife of Rameses the Great, the third queen
of Egypt during the 19th dynasty circa 1270 b.c.e
he
expanding importance of queenship during the Egyptian new
kingdom could not have had a more exemplary figure than Nefertari.
She lived in a period of Egyptian glory underscored by a continuation
of cosmopolitan ideals that were the fruits of the preceding
dynasty. After the initial flurry of war with the Hittites
early in the reign of Rameses II, the rest of his lengthy
reign was spent presiding over the building of monumental
architecture throughout the land. He built more structures
than any king before or after, many of which included dedications
to his 'great wife'.
 t
modern day Abu Simbel the largest statues of Nefertari can
be found towering over the entrance to her temple of Hathor.
In the temple of Luxor her image can be found in sunken relief
on the inner face of the first and largest pylon. In the valley
of the queens a symphony of coloured carvings radiates from
the walls of her tomb known as her 'house of eternity'.
 er
tomb in the valley has been called the Sistine chapel of Egypt
possessing 520 square metres of superb painted carvings with
overwhelming intrinsic detail. Discovered in 1904 it was apparent
that the tomb was in a fragile state due to salt encrusted
limestone dislodging the precious paintwork. This was exacerbated
by moisture leaks from the porous rock above and the thousands
of visitors who had breathed moisture into the tomb. Fortunately
by the mid 1990s the tomb was consolidated and given a chance
to transcend into future generations.
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