No “painting by numbers”. Khuwy’s polychrome wall decoration at Djedkare’s royal cemetery

The mastaba of Khuwy at the Djedkare’s royal cemetery at South Saqqara is one of the earliest attested decorated burial chambers. The very well preserved wall paintings on low relief in the antechamber of the substructure bear testimony to the high standard of this particular form of art already in the Old Kingdom. In combination with the iconographic concept and composition of the chamber, Khuwy’s paintings offer a very rare opportunity for an in depth study of the painting process and the art techniques of this period. A short preliminary study has already managed to record some specific painting practices used in the ante chamber. It is evident that the painter(s) responsible for the decoration of the antechamber were particularly interested in rendering details. Their work is characterised by a specific use of different colours and their shades in combination with skilful execution of painted and drawn details particularly in the depictions of the textures of the represented objects and animals.