Tomb of Irynefer
Tomb TT290, Deir el-Medina
Photograph by manna4u
Irynefer was a workman of the royal necropolis at Deir el-Medina, the famous village that housed the craftsmen responsible for cutting and decorating the tombs of the kings in the Valley of the Kings. His title, “Servant in the Place of Truth” (Egyptian: sḏm-ꜥš m st mꜣꜥt), was the formal designation given to these elite royal artisans.
Date and Historical Context
Tomb TT290, Deir el-Medina
Photograph by manna4u
Irynefer lived during the early reign of Ramesses II, in the 19th Dynasty, around c. 1279–1250 B.C. The community of Deir el-Medina at this time was flourishing, producing some of the most exquisite decorated tombs belonging not to kings, but to the highly skilled men who built the royal tombs themselves.
Worker’s Strike of Deir el-Medina
His tomb, TT 290, lies in the Theban necropolis on the west bank of the Nile opposite Luxor. Although modest in scale compared with royal monuments, the decoration is colourful and intimate, showing scenes of family life, banquets, offerings to the gods, and hopes for the afterlife.
His Wife
Tomb TT290, Deir el-Medina
Photograph by manna4u
Irynefer’s wife was named Mehyt-khati (or Mehytkhati). She appears with him in several tomb scenes, usually seated beside him in affectionate domestic or banquet settings. Like many women depicted in the tombs of Deir el-Medina, she is shown elegantly dressed in a long linen gown and elaborate wig, often smelling a lotus blossom; an artistic motif symbolising rebirth and joy in the afterlife.
These images emphasise the importance of family and companionship in Egyptian beliefs about eternity, presenting husband and wife together as participants in the eternal banquet of the blessed dead.
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