The Polychrome Hieroglyph Research Project

Université Libre de Bruxelles - Faculté de Philosophie et Sciences sociales

This page displays details of the selected Monument. Click on the Monument number to list all individual signs ("occurrences") recorded from that object or structure.

Mon. 56


Monument : Ramses IV KV.2
Period : Dynasty XX
Reign(s) : Ramses IV
High Date : 1153
Low Date : 1147
Monument type : Royal Tomb
Localisation or provenance : Valley of the Kings
References : PM I, 2, 497-500; Hawass (2006).

The tomb of Ramses IV is a fine example of the later Ramesside style, seen in the Dynasty XX tombs. The images are taken from Hawass (2006, 149-150). Their is a proliferation of texts, written in polychrome hieroglyphs on bands of white The hieroglyphs are simplified, probably as a direct result of having to inscribe a vastly increased number of signs. As the background to the inscriptions is bright white, the use of white as a fill colour is no longer possible, so the scribe-painters resorted to yellow for this purpose. Sometimes, texts are inscribed directly onto the golden-yellow background which is used for the accompanying vignettes and images of the gods. In this case, the typical Ramesside “yellow background” rules apply, where canonical yellow signs are coloured green.