THE DOORWAY BETWEEN CHAMBERS A AND B

Entrance passageway, chamber A side: width = 0.76m; height = 2.00m; depth = 0.41m.
This is enlarged in both width and height at the chapel B side, thus it is designed to take a door opening into the second chamber.

Being slightly recessed, it can clearly be seen that this opening is conceived as the doorway of a temple. It is surmounted by a cavetto cornice at the entry side, painted with green, blue, white and red bands, which rests on a torus moulding. Underneath, the top of the door and the uprights have been differentiated from the rest of the tomb by the use of a yellow-orange background; the exceptions being the background of the lower part of the stela on the west wall and the surounding frame of the statue nich at the rear of chamber B.
The floor of the entrance passageway is raised by approx. 0.25m above the floor levels of both chamber A and chamber B. There is a damaged step at the chamber A side, projecting about 0.20m into the chamber itself; extending just beyond the outer edges of the decorated uprights. There is no extended step at the chamber B side.

1) - The lintel, above the doorway

This is filled with two mirrored scenes about a central axis, created by a small column of hieroglyphs which wishes: "All protection, life, stability, power, health […]" undoubtedly to Userhat.
Each side shows Userhat standing at the outer end, facing two seated gods, a table of offerings in front of each. He raises his hands in homage and, although very stylised, he is dressed as seen in many of the previous scenes; a short white kilt with a long transparent tunic and wearing a broad necklace about his neck.
Directly in front of him is Osiris, wearing the double feathered atef crown. He is enclosed in a shroud out of which come his hands, holding the ankh sign, the was-sceptre and the nekhakha-flail. On his chin is attached the long false beard with a hooked tip, characteristic of the god of the dead.
Behind Osiris is Anubis; his canine head has been scraped by the Amarnian zealots, who paradoxically didn't touch Osiris. He holds a was-sceptre in his right hand and wears a short white kilt with short blue tunic.

2) - The uprights

Each are decorated with three vertical columns of hieroglyphs, sculpted in high-quality raised relief; they have been painted in order to detach them from the yellow background (). In both cases the relief of the column closest to the opening is damaged, but the two other columns are easily legible (the letters 'b' to 'h' make reference to the drawing, letter 'a' being that of the central text of the lintel).

b) An offering which the king gives to Amon-Ra, Lord of the Sky; who gives everything which is placed on his altar for the Ka of the Herald's representative and royal scribe, Userhat, justified.
c) An offering which the king gives to Horakhty, the great God, Lord of the great House; which he gives you to see the sun of the morning and presents to you the breads which are brought to him daily. For the child of Kep, the scribe, Userhat, justified.
d) An offering which the king gives to Anubis, who presides in the divine pavilion, so that he may breathe the scent of the myrrh and the incense; (and may drink) the cool water, wine and milk. For the Ka of the Herald's representative, the royal scribe, Userhat […]
e) An offering which the king gives to Osiris, First of the West; that he may make an invocatory offering of bread, beer, ox and poultry, all good and pure things; a henket offering and all yearly and daily offerings. For the Ka of the Herald's representative, the royal scribe, Userhat, justified.
f) An offering which the king gives to Anubis, master of the embalmers, (the one) who is on his mountain, so that he may give consecrated oil for his altar (?), so that he names with his voice the necessary things for the Ka of the child of Kep, the scribe, Userhat, justified.
g) An offering which the king gives to Hathor, mistress of the desert of the west; that she may give and facilitate the access, the entry and the exit of the necropolis, so that the Ka is not blocked in its desires. For the Ka of the Herald's representative, the royal scribe, Userhat.
h) The horizontal inscription, at the bottom of the columns, identical on both sides reads: "His (sister), his beloved, the mistress of the house, Mutneferet"

3) - The entrance thicknesses

Like those of the main entry to the chapel, they either never had decoration or it no longer exists.

CHAMBER B

Length north-south = 4.52m (east side) and 4.62m (west side) ; width east-west = 1.93m (north end) and 1.86m (south end) ; height = 2.25m.
The chamber is more sombre than the previous one, because this is more specifically a funerary domain, centred on the statues which occupied the niche of the rear (south) end wall. The two long walls which face each other are, in appearance, totally different to each other. Scenes of hunting, fishing and other active pursuits on the left; solemn and quiet scenes of the funeral ceremony on the right.

THE CEILING

This is arched slightly (the difference between the centre and the outer long edges being about 10 cm). It is not the usual vaulted style, with a curve surface, but flat surfaces to either side of the centre (which extends from entry to the rear wall. The general principle of decoration is the same as that used in the transverse hall, with pseudo beams delimiting a central zone and the outer edges. The design of the two long panels is the same as used in the east and west ends of the previous chamber, that is, motifs of diamond shapes within zigzag lines.

The yellow bands which totally surround the ceiling and the one which divides it into two, are inscribed. The longitudinal inscriptions read from the entry end (north) to the rear (south) wall; the central one being written in columnar fashion, whilst the two outer ones are written linearly. The short transverse inscriptions read from the centre outwards. The longitudinal band texts are supplications the gods, those of the transverse bands make reference to the Four Children of Horus (see the on this topic). The reference naming (a-g), in following translations, is that of the line drawing.

Text of the central longitudinal band (a), is addressed to Osiris: " An offering which the king gives to Osiris, the first of the West, that he may give all good and pure things, [offerings of meat and drink] and all yearly offerings, perfume of myrrh and incense, cool water, wine, and milk, and bread daily appropriate to his temple; and that he says to you: 'welcome, in peace, on behalf of the one who sees you, for the one who was hard-working, transfigured as well provided, acclaimed, already admired since his birth, the accountant of the bread of Upper and Lower Egypt, Userhat, who has become Osiris, and his wife Mutneferet' ".

Text of the longitudinal band of the west side (c), is an address in Anubis: "An offering which the king gives to Anubis, the first of the pantheon, that he may give all good and sweet things, the daily and yearly offerings, the soft breath which emanates from him and his favour of […] terrestrial. For the Ka of the one who is close to his lord, to the good and beloved God, to the one who accompanies the Lord of the Two Lands everywhere where he goes. The person responsible for the cattle of Amon, accountant of the bread of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Herald's deputy, Userhat, justified by the great God, the Lord of Abydos and his wife, the mistress of house, Mutneferet, justified".

Text of the longitudinal band of the east side (b) is very incomplete.

Text of the north-east transverse band (d) : "Blissful with Amset, the Osiris, Userhat, justified".

Text of the north-west transverse band (f) : "Blissful with Hapi, the Osiris, Userhat, justified".

Text of the south-east transverse band (e) : "Blissful with Duamutef, the Osiris, Userhat, justified".

Text of the south-west transverse band (g) : "Blissful with Qebehsenuef, the Osiris, Userhat, justified".

NORTH WALL (small side wall, left on entering)

Length = 0.48m.

This narrow segment of wall includes four superimposed registers. The decor is not stand-alone, but integrates with that of the east wall. This is also true of the section to the west of the doorway (), which belongs to the west wall.

In the top register, three men run behind the master's chariot, holding canes in their hands, also a quiver and bow.
In the two middle registers, others seem less hurried, but also follow the chariot.
The lowest register has three female figures who are better integrated with the offering scene, below the scene of the chariot.

EAST WALL (long wall, on the left)

Length = 4.52m.

The wall is divided into two registers, the lower one being approximately 4/5ths the height of upper.

Upper register

The register consists of three scenes, although the latter two, being so similar in design, could be mistaken as one. On the left is a chariot hunt in the desert, next bird hunting in the marshes, followed by fishing in the marshes.

1) - The scene of hunting by chariot in the desert

This scene, which is at the entry end of the east wall, is famous, and has been frequently reproduced because of its quality and its originality, the creation of a true master.

The chariot

Userhat is standing in a chariot, the reins wrapped around his waist, leaving his hands free for the hunt. In reality, and certainly in battle, it would have been controlled by a charioteer. The chariot is a light model, the same as that used for fighting (the Egyptians didn't use any heavy chariots). Its sides are made of curved pieces of wood, while the bottom and front parts are in basket-work. The main body rests on the axis, with wheels having four spokes. The connection of the spokes to the hub and rim are made using leather thongs, which are indicated by a difference in colour (light brown against the red-brown of the wood). The chariot is pulled by two powerful horses, represented in red and white, whose manes are especially well groomed. The artist tried to show the horses in a powerful and characteristic attitude: the head is raised, the back arched, the prominent hindquarters, with a curvature like that of the mane. Notice that here, as in other tombs, the ancient Egyptians never really knew how to represent the horse, an animal which appeared during the Second Intermediate Period (about 1700-1550 BC), and they were therefore relatively new to them. Nevertheless, the pair shown here clearly give the impression of galloping, which reflects the hunter's haughty attitude, contrasting strongly with the disorderly view of the game in flight.

A quick glance at the middle register of the opposite wall, shows a totally different scene with a chariot: in the funeral procession the chariot is being carried in a totally disassembled state, and a horse (drawn in great disproportion) being lead by its reigns ().

Userhat

Userhat, in great style, bends his bow to its maximum, and prepares to fire his arrow. The control which he shows in this difficult exercise contrasts well with the disorganised movement of his intended quarry. On his back he carries a quiver full of arrows, whilst the equipment in the chariot includes a sheath for holding javelins, currently empty.

The wild game

The real interest of the scene is in the way in which the wild game is represented. The action takes place in the desert, the environment of which is shown by the rarity of vegetation, by the dark brown tones of the horse and the archer and the paler red-brown tones of the game. The artist has carefully eliminated the green and blue colours.
The fauna has been achieved looking amazingly natural. How different from the Old Kingdom where the quarry was represented as a static sample; also the enclosures or nets which delimited real reserves of game are no longer portrayed.
Only animals without horns are represented here, fleeing in an indescribable panic in front of the rain of projectiles which fall on them. Again the artist accentuated the effect by outlining some of the bodies in red, but not all of them. Two injured hares jump under the stomach of the horses, whilst a third lies on the ground, dead. Gazelles bound in all directions while trying to flee; some are wounded, the others, already dead or in pain, lie on the ground. Two hyenas are represented under the horses; one runs away while the other, already struck by arrows, turns around, its open mouth flowing with blood ().

At the extreme bottom right of the area showing the wild game () is a small scene which shows well the artist's talent: a dying fox looks for shelter in one of the rare bushes of the landscape. Here is how Mekhitarian comments this scene: "The legs rest in the bush which hides it, the back bent, the eye gazing, it expresses, as much by attitude as by appearance, its fear and its astonishment of the misfortune has overtaken it. The contrast is great between the excitement which reigns above and the drama which is takes place in silence in this small corner of the scene. To have known how to translate this drama without pomposity, without lyricism, by a simple red point on a white spot (the eye of the dying animal), is like a miracle. Rarely is artistic genius able to contain itself to such a degree, to say so many things in so few words. Stripped of all artifice, of all technical complication, it works, by departing from a miserable subject, it achieves the sublime".

Real event and/or symbolic ?

The interpretation of this hunt scene, as with the bird catching and fishing scenes which follow, could be seen on two levels. On the one hand, to consider them as an evocation by the deceased of the joy of hunting, and of his desire to relive these sensations in the beyond. Did Userhat really participate in this kind of sporty hunt during his life? It is possible, but not certain.
Besides, this scene appears in the deep part of funerary chapel. According to many Egyptologists (Philippe Derchain, Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, Lise Manniche, among others) it appears more likely to consider these scenes as essentially apotropaic (apotropaic = intended to ward off evil or dangerous influences).
The animals of the desert live in a hostile environment, uncontrolled by the Egyptian man, an environment where Ma'at, "order" doesn't reign, but her opposite, Isfet, "disorder", not orderly chaos. The animals specific to this environment therefore represent a potential danger, and are comparable to the hostile forces of chaos which, in the beyond, are going to try to stop Userhat from accomplishing his post-mortem destiny to which he aspires. They must therefore be destroyed

This summit of Egyptian painting of the 18th Dynasty also marks the end of the hunting theme, which will disappear from tombs created after the reign of Amenhotep II.

2) - The scenes of bird hunting and fishing in the marshes

These were already traditional motifs in the mastabas of the Old Kingdom and which continues in tombs until the end of the 18th Dynasty, then they also disappear.

a) - Hunting birds in the marshes

This scene and the one of fishing using the harpoon usually face each other and separated by what could be called a mountain of water, frequently filled with a large variety of fish. But here, the water is all displayed as horizontal, and the two scenes are linear and follow each other, separated by an undergrowth of papyrus (). The motif of the marsh is continuous under the two scenes, flowing from one to the other as a blue coloured band (without the usual undulating lines) symbolising the Nile.

Accompanied by his wife and daughter, Userhat advances on the surface of the marsh on a light skiff made of papyrus stems. The deck is represented as covered by a red-brown mat, in the middle of the craft. Userhat, whose clothing has not been finished, stands with his legs apart, adopting a royal stance, the one of the sovereign facing the enemy, as seen on the pylons of temples. His right hand brandishes behind his head a throwing stick, which he is ready to project into the undergrowth of papyrus. In his left hand, he holds three live ducks by their legs, perhaps serving as decoys. The two women, who are represented at a smaller scale, are Mutneferet and one of his daughters; they both wear long white, tight-fitting dresses and are adorned with jewellery (diadems, bracelets and necklaces). Both hold lotus flowers, the mother clutches two more ducks by the wings.
The whole scene is of great academic stiffness, accentuated only by the upright undergrowth of papyrus. At the top, on the left, can be seen a motif very much appreciated during the Old Kingdom: a nest with two fledglings threatened by a predator, whose weight has bent the papyrus stem on which it climbs. Three ducks fly above the undergrowth, whilst a fourth, hit by a throwing stick, collapses head downwards ().

b) - The scene of fishing with the harpoon

The scene, the decor, the attitudes are all in a similar style to the previous scene, with a lack of finishing touches and an absence of texts. Mutneferet holds a lotus flower and a spare harpoon. Her daughter holds one her father's legs. Userhat guides, with his left hand, the harpoon held in the other. In front of him stands a "mountain of water" (usually used to separate the two scenes, and which really represents the horizontal open expanse of water around him) in which he harpoons two fish, the Tilapia Niloticas. Five startled ducks take off and head towards the hunter.

The significance of these scenes in the marshes is the same as that of the hunting scene. It is represented to prevent the evil forces, those of chaos, of disorder, from disrupting the deceased's second gestation at the breast of the goddess mother, whose amniotic liquid is assimilated in the water of the marsh. And it is not by chance that the wife and the deceased's daughter are present: they must stimulate the deceased's sexuality so that he is capable of being born again by his own effort.

It is definitely worth noticing that some very bizarre animals have been added in these scenes. It was the Copts who added this very ugly graffiti of monstrous beasts, of the creatures of hell (especially the one on the first boat). In my opinion [T.B.], it is not by chance that they chose to represent them precisely here. The old pharaonic superstitions must have persisted, and the anarchists would have hardly known the significance of these scenes of their forebears. They wanted, in their turn, to contribute to the destruction of the demon (s). I see convincing proof of the correctness of proposed symbolic explanation there.
The register ends with a second undergrowth of papyrus, which doesn't add anything, neither aesthetically, nor symbolically.

Bottom register

This register is divided into several parts, some showing a degree of interconnectivity between them.

1) - Left-hand part of the register

This is best read in a retrograde way, by starting to the left of the junction with the following scene of a grape harvest.
At the right-hand end is a growth of papyrus plants, the type found in the bird hunt in the register above. This scene, to the left of the papyrus, is also a very typical scene of bird hunting from the Old Kingdom. It involves the use of an hexagonal net and takes place in the marshes. This is represented in the usual Egyptian style of perspective: the water area, over which the net is cast (and the net itself) are shown vertically; and the papyrus reed beds are shown as just two clumps, either side of what looks like a pond, but which in reality would be a wide expanse of water. Birds can be seen flying above the area and in the water. The hexagonal net is easily seen above the water, the net being painted in bright blue, whereas the water is has a greenish colour ().
The mesh of the net is barely visible and the supporting sticks, which keep the net spread, are absent. But inside of the net, lotus plants and birds, some of which try to fly away, are easily visible. A white water bird, possibly a decoy, is present next to the net. Above the water is a flight of eight ducks which have succeeded in escaping. By following the cord, which currently keeps the net open, the three trappers can be seen hidden by a grove of papyrus. They are getting ready to pull on the cord to close the net. The tip of the cord is fixed to the ground behind the third man. Of all known analogous scenes, this is the only one in which the "lookout" is absent, the one who is normally hidden in the papyrus plants opposite, ready to give the signal for the closing of the trap.

The last of the three men, turns to look at what is happening behind him, thus linking the actual capture with the presentation of the catch to Userhat and his wife.

On the left, is the continuation of the capture of the birds: Userhat and Mutneferet are seated on a wide chair with a high back. This is raised up on a mat and under them are two different shaped vessels. Userhat is dressed as many time before, a short white kilt and a long transparent over-garment. He wears a broad necklace and bracelets, but in addition he has a pendant necklace. From the lotus flower in his left hand he inhales the perfume. Mutneferet wears her long white dress, although, due to the extensive damage, it is impossible to see her upper body. What can be seen is that she wears a headband. Behind the couple, on the north wall, are the three handmaids already mentioned. The colours of these three is almost totally lost, but it is still possible to see that the first one holds sandals or a fan in her hand, the next holds her hands to the shoulders of the one in front of her, the third carries a ointment pot with a long neck.
In front of Userhat and his wife is a large table, stacked with offerings, at the other side of which two men present some ducks; five for the first and three for the second, who also carries two long papyrus bouquets. Three other ducks stand on a small table, between the large table and the first of the men (all the birds are alive, and there are no dead ones on the pile of offerings). These ducks represent the catch from the associated scene to the right.
The accompanying text is inscribed on 12 columns and a horizontal line; although very much erased, the sense is comprehensible, namely that it is the capture of the birds using a capture-net which is displayed.

This hunt has no symbolic connection to its counterpart of the register above… except that the duck has an erotic connotation. Remember that in the small craft it was Userhat's wife who held the ducks in her hand. It is therefore there, under an extremely disguised form, a representation of sensuality.

2) - Right-hand part of the register

To the right of the grove of papyrus extends a series of images relating the harvesting and processing of grapes. Again, this is not about a topic as profane might be imagined, because wine (red) is associated with the blood of the god Osiris, killed and cut up by his brother Seth. Besides, wine encourages drunkenness and therefore love and sexuality.
First, are two small superimposed sub-registers, showing wine growers collecting the harvest of ripe grapes. The purple clusters are crammed into wicker baskets. The two sub-scenes have a great deal of damage, but they are still very recognisable.

It is necessary to pass now to the third scene which shows the treading of the grapes. This takes place in a large vat where the men probably trample the clusters for quite some time. On either side are columns with open floral capitols, which support a decorated beam. From this beam hang floral branches, well within the reach of the men, on to which several of them hold, thus they are certainly acting as ropes for support. The scene represents laborious and trying work, reserved for people of low social status, as testified by their dress, and the expression of stupidity on the face of the last two; it is true that the vapours from the wine wouldn't help… ().
Next, in the real sequence of events, comes the scene between the two just described. Two men bring small vessels of either the liquor from the vat or of the finished wine. These are probably emptied into one of the three rows of much larger jars. Certainly the man at the rear carries one on his shoulder, but the one possibly being emptied has been lost to damage. Above, a scribe kneels, very pleasantly portrayed, making a note of everything, including the number of baskets which have been brought from the harvest ready for the press. It would be necessary to ensure that there was no conflict between the quantity of grapes received and the actual quantity of wine produced.

The sequence of the harvesting and pressing of the grapes, and then the accounting, is completed with the small and very damaged scene on the right. This shows Userhat paying homage to an anonymous snake goddess. The cobra neck of the goddess can still be seen, as also the solar disc and two feathers of her headdress. This is possibly Renenutet, the goddess of the crops, but she has not been previously connect with wine; indeed, the god of the wine press is the god Chesmou, but he usually has the head of a lion, and is hardly ever represented in tombs.

Finally, in the narrow section at the extreme right of the bottom register, behind the snake goddess, of the bottom register (), an area which is very badly damaged and almost unrecognisable, is a small scene of fishing using a drag net.