The ancient Egyptian nobleman Sennefer was Mayor of the City Waset known later as Thebes to the Greeks and as Luxor today. Sennefer was the "Overseer of the Granaries and Fields, Gardens and Cattle of Amun" during the reign of Amenhotep II during the Eighteenth Dynasty. His tomb was known by 19th century travelers as the "Tomb of the Vineyards" because of the decorative theme of its ceiling. Being a favourite of the king he accumulated great wealth. He was also allowed to place a double statue of himself and his wife at Nsut Towi "the Throne of Two Lands" known as the temple at Karnak today. The famous garden plan, often described is Sennefer's Garden, is more likely to be of a garden which Sennefer managed, and perhaps designed, than to be of a garden which Sennefer owned. The tomb is mostly known for its beautifully decorated burial chamber. Yet the area where the rituals were performed, called the "cult chapel", has not yet been published or studied in detail. A team from Belgium, involving the Universities of Brussels and Liège, is working on a project to analyze the painting styles and practices used in Sennefer's tomb, which is part of a broader study of the Theban necropolis during the 18th Dynasty.
"The well-known depiction of the ‘Garden of Amun’ or the representation of the temple granary are clearly connected to some specific functions of the patron, which were conveyed to the visitors by visual communication, even if they might be illiterate. The enlarge- ment of the chapel directly led to a significant change of the situation of the beholder and in the mode of communication. The built-in window significantly enhanced the visual impression of the visitors. Furthermore the monumentality increased the actual position of the tomb owner’s figure, creating a more temple like impression. The prominent element of three “Mittelstützen- scheintüren” in the large pillared hall can be related to temple architecture as well. These iconic elements have been associated to statue cult, which indeed plays a prominent role in that hall. Moreover the representation of the tomb owner’s cousin, the vizier Amenemope, and other relatives directly link the tomb visually and semantically to the neighbouring cult chapel of TT 29 and thereby focus on Sennefer’s social status and his family relations. Other iconographies refer to much older compositions and contribute to the outstanding and inventive character of the chapel."
Under Construction – The Tomb of Sennefer as Work in Progress: https://www.academia.edu/40121242/Under_Construction_The_Tomb_of_Sennefer_as_Work_in_Progress
Interestingly enough in the picture with Anpu, Sennefer is depicted holding the crook and flail and is wearing the Atef crown worn by Ausar. This type of iconography I thought was traditionally reserved for Pharaohs.
East wall - right of doorway.
"Going forth on the earth to see the sun-disk in the course of every day, the Mayor of the Southern City, Sennefer, true of voice. His beloved companion of his affection, the Musician of Amon, Meryt, true of voice.
Walking on the earth in the day-time by the Mayor, Sennefer, true of voice, and the Mistress of the House, the Musician of Amon, Meryt, true of voice.
An offering which the king gives Osiris, Ruler of Eternity, that he may give offerings of bread and beer, oxen and fowl, everything good and pure, all which goes upon his altar in the course of every day, for the Ka of the Mayor of the Southern City, Sennefer, true of voice, and his beloved companion, Musician of Amon, Meryt, true of voice."
Translation: http://carrington-arts.com/PapyrusEast.html New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca.
1427-1401 BC. Tomb of Sennefer (TT96, tomb of the vineyards), Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Thebes.
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