Queen Nefertari and the frog: on an amphibious element in the vignette to BD 94

The tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens, Thebes West contains a scene depicting Nefertari facing the god Thoth, with between them a stand supporting a set of scribal equipment consisting of a palette and a water pot on which a frog is seated. It is accompanied by Book of the Dead 94, concerned with providing the deceased with writing equipment in the Hereafter. The study focuses on the surprising presence of the frog in the funerary scene. Its identity can be established through the context and comparison with similar scenes, for which the vignette to Book of the Dead 94 serves as the starting point, since a number of individual vignettes contain the same image of the frog. As there is no evidence that the frog was a part of the actual scribal tool kit, the author points to the frog as a symbol of resurrection and the inundation. It appears that the frog in the scene has to be interpreted as an integral part of the water vessel that makes reference to the Nile's inundation. In addition, the frog was a common symbol for rejuvenation in general. (OEB)