John K. McDonald

Over 3000 years ago, Nefertari, the favourite queen of Ramesses II, was buried in a tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Queens. The discovery of the tomb by Ernesto Schiaparelli in 1904 began a process of drastic deterioration which remained unchecked until 1988 when emergancy consolidation and restoration began.

The Tomb of Nefertari

House of Eternity

Robert Steven Bianchi

Mohamed Ibrahim Bakr

Miguel Angel Corzo

The most lavishly decorated tomb in ancient Egypt was constructed for Queen Nefertari, wife of Rameses the Great. The Getty Conservation Institute has been instrumental in the effort to restore the tomb’s magnificent wall paintings, and in the fall of 1992, to mark the project’s completion, an exhibition was held at the Getty Museum. The exhibition included a model of the tomb and full-scale reproductions of the wall paintings. The publication describes the conservation work (including before and after photographs), outlines the life of Nefertari, and places the tomb in the context of Egyptian art history.

Conservation of the Wall Paintings

In the Tomb of Nefertari

Nefertari, the favorite queen of Rameses II, was buried about 3,200 years ago in the most exquisitely decorated tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Queens. Discovered in 1904 by Italian explorer Ernesto Schiaparelli, the tomb had deteriorated to a disastrous extent when emergency consolidation began in 1986. The six-year conservation project of the GCI and the Egyptian Antiquities Organization was completed in 1992. In this fascinating exploration of the tomb, John McDonald takes the reader through each chamber, describing the hieroglyphic messages depicted in the brilliant wall paintings and discussing the images within the context of Egyptian beliefs. He also offers insights into the life of Nefertari, the development and symbolism of royal tombs, and the construction and decoration of the tombs. House of Eternity is illustrated with historic black-and-white images and more recent color photographs that reveal the vibrant beauty of the wall paintings. In November 1995 the tomb was reopened to the public. Because of the potential for damage and deterioration to the fragile wall paintings caused by increased humidity, carbon dioxide, and microbiological activity introduced by visitors to the tomb, the number permitted to enter daily is strictly controlled by the Egyptian authorities. This book results from a desire of the GCI to enrich visitors' experience by providing a detailed descriptive walk-through of the tomb while conveying a strong message regarding the need for conservation and continuous monitoring to ensure the long-term survival of the tomb's paintings. Visitors to the tomb and the armchair traveler alike will find House of Eternity to be an excellent resource for understanding Nefertari's journey to the afterlife and for appreciating the extraordinary depictions of that journey on the walls of Nefertari's tomb.

John K. McDonald

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