Ancient Egyptian Wall Plaque - Egyptian Musicians

Ancient Egyptian Wall Plaque - Egyptian Musicians

Tomb of Nakht, Egypt. Dynasty XVIII 1450 B.C.

According to the great quantity of musical instruments found in the tombs, Egyptian music was a source of pleasure and relaxation for rich Egyptians. The main instrument used by the Egyptians was the harp, followed by the flute.
In this representation of a painting in the tomb of Nakht (an astronomer of the God Amun during the kingdom of Amenhotep III) we see a flute player, a harp player and a youth playing the norva; the latter one being close to our banjo and made out of a turtle shell. The three instrumentalists are lightly dressed with transparent clothes and veils. They have incense sticks over the head to perfume the body and hair.