Art History: “Queen Nefertari Playing Senet”

Written By Evelina Nunez

The topic that I selected to conduct my research and write about was Queen Nefertari, who is connected to Ancient Egypt, which is a section that we learned about in this course. Queen Nefertari was the leading queen of Ramesses II (de Garis Davies). Queen Nefertari was known as “‘the one for whom the sun shines.’” (Kimbell Art Museum). The monuments that the king formed to serve as a tribute to her highlight how significant she was to him (de Garis Davies).

Also, the Ramesses built a small temple for Queen Nefertari beside his own in Abu Simbel (de Garis Davies). In addition, the image that I selected, which is a reproduction that duplicates one of the paintings from the tomb of Queen Nefertari, the Ramesses ordered in what is presently known as the Valley of the Queens (de Garis Davies).

The image that I chose for this assignment depicts Queen Nefertari playing a game called senet. I chose this topic because I desired to learn more information regarding Queen Nefertari, who was known as a powerful queen. Another motive as to why I chose this topic is because it piqued my interest and intellectual curiosity.

Additionally, this depiction portrays Queen Nefertari being seated in front of a table while playing senet, a game, with an adversary that is not visible (de Garis Davies). In life, this was a very well-known game, however, in the moments in which it was illustrated in a tomb, it

has a significance that is emblematic (de Garis Davies). The image showcases Queen Nefertari wearing a gown of pure linen that is intricately creased (de Garis Davies).

In the image, Queen Nefertari is wearing a wide neckband, a bracelet composed of gold, and possibly earrings made up of silver (de Garis Davies). The headpiece of a queen is placed on her head (de Garis Davies). The artist of the image that portrays Queen Nefertari is Nina de Garis Davies. Meanwhile, the period of this image is the original New Kingdom, and the dynasty is Dynasty 19 (de Garis Davies).

The date of this image that demonstrates Queen Nefertari playing the game senet is ca. 1279-1213 B.C. (de Garis Davies). On the other hand, the original image is from Egypt, specifically Upper Egypt, “Thebes, Valley of the Queens, Tomb of Queen Nefertari.” (de Garis Davies). The medium consists of Tempera on paper (de Garis Davies). Tempera is a lasting painting technique that dries rapidly, which includes pigments combined with an adaptable acrylic combination of two or more liquids that are normally unmixable, and is utilized as a primer that dissolves in water, typically egg yolk. Queen Nefertari influenced the Ancient Egyptian culture. The luxurious tomb of Queen Nefertari delineates how pivotal the afterlife was in Ancient Egyptian culture.

Furthermore, the portrayal of Queen Nefertari playing the game Senet, one of the world's most ancient games, is significant in Ancient Egypt (Khan Academy). The term “senet” is defined as passing (de Garis Davies). The game of senet was perceived as similar to the passage into the afterlife, while showing the challenges that the individual had to conquer throughout the process (de Garis Davies).

The notion of there being a painting in the tomb of Queen Nefertari that illustrates her playing the game of senet is significant, since the ancient Egyptians held the belief that there was an afterlife, also known as the existence of life after death. A portion of the squares of the game correlated to the difficulties an individual may experience on their passage to the afterlife (Zwang). Also, other squares assisted the individual playing the game (Zwang). During this time period, senet was not just perceived as a game; it represented the fight to acquire immortality (Zwang).

In essence, throughout my research for this assignment, I found the most interesting aspect to be the significance and value of the game of senet to the Ancient Egyptians. This allowed me to comprehend that a game could have a more profound meaning that is correlated to the cultural beliefs of a society. Moreover, I did not know that the word “senet” means passing. It was very insightful and powerful to view Queen Nefertari being portrayed in this manner. Overall, I was surprised to learn that for the image of Queen Nefertari playing the game called senet, the medium consists of Tempera on paper.

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Works Cited

De Garis Davies, Nina. “Nina de Garis Davies - Queen Nefertari Playing Senet - Original New Kingdom, Ramesside - The Metropolitan Museum of Art.” Nina de Garis Davies - Queen Nefertari Playing Senet - Original New Kingdom, Ramesside - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/548355. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

“Interpreting Unfamiliar Words.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/ela/new-6th-grade-reading-and-vocabulary/x8ddea1200317e822:what-defines-us/x8ddea1200317e822:understanding-words-in-context/a/interpreting-unfamiliar-words. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Zwang, Danielle. “Senet and Twenty Squares: Two Board Games Played by Ancient Egyptians.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 19 July 2017, www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/ancient-egypt-board-games.

“‘The Most Beautiful’ Egyptian Queen Ushers in Extraordinary Collection of Ancient Art and Objects | Kimbell Art Museum.” “The Most Beautiful” Egyptian Queen Ushers In Extraordinary Collection of Ancient Art and Objects, kimbellart.org/content/most-beautiful-egyptian-queen-ushers-extraordinary-collection-ancient-art-and-objects. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.