Style of decoration The style varies very little throughout the monument, which is usual during the reign of Amenhotep III. The sculptures are of an excellent quality and have been executed by real artists. Looking at the position occupied by Kheruef and the extreme quality of the decor, it is possible that they were produced by the "servants of the Place of Truth", the craftsmen of Deir el-Medineh, those responsible for the royal tombs. It is known that their domain of action wasn't confined, as was believed for a long time, to the valleys of the kings and queens, but that they also worked in the Theban temples and sometimes for individuals. Traces of their activity can be found elsewhere in Egypt, notably at Saqqara. The decor is achieved in raised relief on the walls of the west pylon, and on the south wall of the passage leading to the courtyard (view sb_5165); everywhere else it is in sunken relief; the hieroglyphs have been filled with blue, cut into the white base colour of the wall (view sb_5066). 1) - Sovereigns in Kheruef's monument a) - At the end the reign of Amenhotep III, toward year 30, the decorative style changes distinctly Raymond Johnson wrote: "Everything about Amenhotep's final style of relief carving is unusual". The raised reliefs are higher, the sunken reliefs are deeper. But the most striking change concerns the sovereign's image, whose features are now those of a teenager with long almond-shaped eyes, raised upwards toward the rear. Amenhotep III is represented with the same youthful face in the (tomb of Amenhotep III) in the Valley of the Kings. The king's clothing becomes exceptionally complex, with a superposition of loincloths, including additional layers and sashes, to which are added solar or funerary symbols, never used before. Novel also is the fact that the king wears the shebiu (or shebu) necklace, formed of gold disks, usually reserved for the rewarding of dignitaries (view tb_01930). When this is offered by the king to an individual, the recipient gains a new social status. Around the sovereign's neck, it indicates a change of his status in the beyond, the result of his assimilation and his identification with "his father the sun". The wah necklace and the large bracelet around his wrist is also unusual. Almost of a symetrical design, on the loincloth type apron, is an overlying decoration, in the shape of a falcon's tail. This is decorated at the lower end with raised cobras and a solar disk and at the top with the head of an animal. This type of representation corresponds to the deification of the deceased sovereign and is met previously only in a funerary context. b) - Significance These changes are contemporary with the three jubilee festivals (or Heb sed) and equates to two things: • rejuvenation shows the regenerative effect of the ceremonies of the jubilee on the king, who can therefore continue to occupy the throne. • solarisation expresses a completely new phenomenon: the fusion of the king's person with the sun-god, Ra, and its physical manifestation, the solar disk - the Aten. Thus, since his first jubilee, Amenhotep III became a living god and he can be seen as such in the images adorning the temple of Soleb, in Nubia. The idea of the deification of the reigning king will decline, but will be resumed later by Ramesses II and Ramesses III. c) - The pre-eminence of the sovereigns in the decor As with the tomb of Ramose, (but to a greater extent) the representations of the sovereigns and the queen relegate the owner of the tomb to the second place, a practice which will exacerbate itself during the reign of Akhenaten. However, the decor of the monument of Kheruef is very far from being finished, and it is likely that he would have been shown in more prominance in the first, and especially the second pillared halls. d) - The representation of non-royal characters from the end of the reign of Amenhotep III From the end of the reign of Amenhotep III, the subordinate characters are represented leaning strongly forwards (view tb_01960). This is the case under the throne, in the scenes of the third jubilee, and it is also the attitude of the two priests of Ptah, who attend the raising of the djed-pillar. Under the reign of Amenhotep IV - Akhenaten, these bent characters will be the rule. 2) - The gods Numerous mentions of the name of Amon are found at the Kheruef complex, in the middle of a multiplicity of other gods. The word "god" is sometimes written in the plural (and will thus be attacked by the Atonites). Almost nothing in the monument predicts the radical religious changes which the new sovereign Amenhotep IV would introduce very early in his reign. The name "Aten" is found repeatedly, but it makes reference to the physical solar disk, and as such it is frequently mentioned at the end of the reign of Amenhotep III. 3) - Representations of Amenhotep IV When the this king is represented, as on the architrave of the vestibule, it is in a perfectly classic style. This decor has been achieved therefore before year 4 of his reign, the date on which the style so characteristic of the beginning of the new reign was imposed (see the general article Akhenaton and the religion of Aten). The entrance The descent to the monument is by a long modern stairway, between two roughly hewn high walls. These have not been smoothed and remain uninscribed. A metal grill gate, which is located level with the outer wall and marks the eastern edge of the recessed entry, which thus forms a vestibule. The floor is flat and the entry passageway is framed by decorated doorposts (the jambs) and a lintel. However, only the right-hand side of the vestibule is decorated. 1) - The lintel
This is divided in two almost symmetrical parts. In each king Amenhotep IV, in a quite classic style, is accompanied of his mother, queen Tiy, and makes an offering to a god and a goddess. The king wears the khepresh, the blue crown, while a large necklace spreads on its chest. Around his waist is fastened a loincloth with a triangular front, from which hangs the tail of bull. The queen is clothed in a tight-fitting dress fastened at the waist by a long sash. On her head she wears a crown which combines a mortar and two tall feathers, appropriate to the god Amon. A double uraeus is fastened around her forehead. With her right hand she waves a Hathoric sistrum and, in her the left she holds, either an umbel of papyrus and an ankh sign (left side), or the curved sceptre of the queens (on the right); this last emblem is similar to the flail normally held by the king. On the left, Amenhotep offers nu-vases of wine to Ra-Horakhty seated on his throne and overseen by the goddess Ma'at, who stands behind him. On the right, the king makes a fumigation of incense to a seated Atum, behind whom is the goddess Hathor. A complex symbol separates the two scenes: a Ka sign surrounds the cartouche "Nefer-kheperu-Ra, ua-n-Ra" ("Beautiful are the apparitions of Ra, the unique of Ra") on which rests a composite crown associating an Osirian atef, a solar symbol combined with the twisted horns of a ram, also linked to Amon. For an outline overlay image of part the scene, click HERE. 2) - the uprights (jambs) On each side of the opening are inscribed four vertical columns of text, each containing a prayer addressed, in each case, to a different god. On the right, Amon-Ra (scraped out), Atum, Thot and Anubis. On the left, Amon (obliterated), Ra-Horakhty, Osiris and Isis. The representations of Kheruef, which were at the bottom of each upright, have been erased. On the left upright, just before the beginning of the destroyed area, has been preserved a very beautifully coloured cartouche, in the name of queen Tiy. Note should be made of the sceptre, which is precisely identical to the image on the lintel. 3) - The north side of the vestibule (The south side has never been engraved) (view B_3287). This carries a long hymn to the setting sun, and is read from right to left, around the remains of the dreadfully hammered out image of Kheruef. This text includes the names of Atum, Ra, Nun and Nunet (his consort goddess), of the gods (plural) of the mountain of the west, of Ma'at. The plural of the word god has been partially erased by the partisans of Akhenaten, who strangely didn't touch Nun and Nunet, even though the god of the primordial ocean, from whom came creation at "the beginning of time" had no connection with the Aten theology which banished the idea of 'first time'. (See 'Akhenaten and the religion of Aten'). The hymn concludes, as always, by a supplication of Kheruef: "That I am among your favourites, contemplating your beauty every day, I am the one who grasps the rope for hauling the barque of the evening and to moor the barque of the morning". 4) - The passageway a) - Left side (south) (view rb_0067) This is divided into two registers, upper and lower, each subdivided in two distinct scenes. Upper register (view rb_0068 and view rb_0058) The two scenes of offering are very difficult to examine because of relentless effort to destroy the figures of Amenhotep IV. • on the right of the wall, partially preserved, Amenhotep IV, who faces towards the inside, makes libation to his father Amenhotep III and to queen Tiy; the complexity of the king's appearance can once more be admired (view B_3289). The presence of Amenhotep III in this context is ambiguous, and some advance the idea that the old sovereign had already died at this time, but the arguments of proof are insufficient. • on the left, Amenhotep IV, this time facing towards the outside (east), is dedicating a great offering to Ra-Horakhty (view B_01898). In front of his face, and above the stacked offerings, is a rectangular frame of 1.48m high and 1.36m wide. It is divided into 14 columns and 13 rows, with, in each delimited space, a group of hieroglyphic signs. This represents texts of worship to the gods. It is to be be read by line and by column, as in crossword puzzles, except that there are no empty spaces. There are several known examples of these frames in the Egyptian history, but this one is the oldest (JJ Clère). Here, "every quadrat can be read with difficulty from left to right or from top to bottom in the manner of a puzzle, mixing and intersecting, in unique and inseparable groups, the names of the two Pharaohs, father and son, and those of the gods Amon-Ra gods and Ra-Horakhty. It represents a real theological-political text" (Dr Francisco J. Martín Valentín) Lower register This time Kheruef (little of whom remains) can be found (twice) in prayer, reciting a hymn of adoration: - on the left, turned toward the entry, it represents a hymn to the rising sun. - on the right, and facing towards the courtyard, it represents a hymn to Osiris (view rb_0059) b) - right side (north) Only one register occupies the whole height of the wall. It consists of columns of hieroglyphs, transcribing a long supplication of Kheruef at the time of entering into the netherworld. It ends with: "I have come in jubilation to the god of my city, Osiris, Ruler of Eternity, the lord of that which is and to whom that which is not belongs. May you let the first royal herald, Kheruef, justified, go forth to behold the solar disk (i.e. Aten) when it rises without his being opposed or repelled from any portals of the netherworld" (view rb_0046, view b_3292 and view b_3291). c) - The ceiling (view rb_0051 and view rb_0053) This includes three columns of hieroglyphs running from east to west, with four small 'transverse rows'. In the central column (view B_01902), Kheruef addresses the first door of the underground kingdom: "Words spoken by the first royal herald and steward, Kheruef, justified: "0 you first portal of the netherworld, 'He desires entry, his abomination is egress', open for me, It is bearing Ma'at that I have come [...]". The east portico
The two wings on the right and left are very dark, but once accustomed to this reduced light, the decor of some areas can be distinguished. They don't concern Kheruef, but belong to other characters of a much later period. On the right (north), two panels of reliefs frame the entry towards TT189, the tomb of Nakht-Djehuty. Whilst at the far southern end of this portico is an opening to an annexe of tomb TT189. Of the left side (south), several panels frame the entry toward TT194, the burial place of Djehutyemheb. At the far end of this side is an opening is leading towards TT195 and TT196. More detail about these tombs will be covered in a special future page that will be called "Around Kheruef". The open courtyard The progress towards the courtyard continues from the passageway between two pillars. A stela is carved on the south face of the pillar on the right, this identifies the tomb TT193 of Ptahemheb (view cb_193). This will also be discussed in "Around Kheruef". The courtyard is open to the sun. In various places can be found pieces of walls in mud bricks, revealing a state of belated occupation. There are also openings to more tombs, some very visible, such as TT406, TT26 (view rb_0127) and TT264 (view rb_0124) on the south wall, and TT190 and TT191 on the north wall. Red outlining for columns exists on both the north and south walls. The west portico, which carries the famous decorations, and which will be discussed in the following pages, are hidden behind a modern protective wall. At the extreme right, work of the initial overhang and notably the imbedded remains of columns are still visible in a more modern brick wall. It is necessary to pass through a new door to enter the area of the original portico.
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