In ancient Kemet, like many African societies, women were highly respected and not objectified or overly sexualized in the way they often are in modern Western contexts. In fact, women were frequently celebrated for their strength, wisdom, and connection to the divine, and their roles in society were viewed as essential to the balance of the community. In ancient Kemet, women could hold powerful positions such as queens, priestesses, and even pharaohs, reflecting a deep societal recognition of their authority and significance. The concept of nudity was not tied to sexualization, but rather to the representation of divine or natural purity, meaning that women, whether in artwork, ritual, or daily life, were depicted in a way that honored their dignity and power.

Instead of being seen through a lens of sexuality, women were often portrayed as goddesses, warriors, and leaders, with their bodies celebrated for their fertility, motherhood, and spiritual strength. Cultural practices and art in Kemet and across Africa focused on the holistic view of women as integral figures within the community, with no need for their bodies to be reduced to mere sexual objects. This respect for women extended beyond their physical appearance, affirming their roles as creators, nurturers, and protectors within the social, spiritual, and political spheres.

"This reconstruction represents a lute player based on tomb paintings such as the famous scene of three female musicians from the tomb of Nakht in Thebes (featuring two girls in a see-through dress playing a harp and a double flute respectively, and a third girl playing a lute completely naked except for her jewellery), or a painting from another tomb from Thebes representing a larger group of similar musicians. A naked female lute player is also represented in a blue faience bowl in the National Museum of Antiquities of Leiden (Netherlands), and in this case, the girl has an image of the dwarf god Bes tattooed on her thigs, which I also included in my illustration. Bes was an Egyptian god of possible Kushite / Nubian origin, associated with dance, music and erotism."