Wall Paintings from the Tomb of Seti I (KV17)

This wall painting shows multiple registers of figures arranged in a procession, painted on plaster in the tomb of Seti I. On the left, a large undulating serpent dominates the upper section, while rows of standing figures—deities and spirits—are depicted in profile, dressed in traditional kilts and wearing wigs. On the right, the figures are arranged in distinct horizontal bands, separated by columns of hieroglyphic text, with some figures holding staffs or scepters. The color palette is earthy, utilizing ochre, black, and white, with the figures maintaining the rigid, idealized poses characteristic of New Kingdom Egyptian funerary art.

These reliefs belong to the Book of Gates, a major ancient Egyptian funerary text from the New Kingdom that describes the journey of the soul through the twelve gates of the underworld. It is a critical primary source for understanding royal eschatology and the solar cycle of the god Ra.