Origin: Egypt
Circa: 664 BC to 525 BC
Dimensions: 72" (182.9cm) high
Collection: Egyptian
Style: 26th Dynasty
Medium: Painted Wood
The funerary rites and rituals of Egypt are among the most elaborate and celebrated burial traditions in the ancient world. The foremost concern was the preservation of the body, in order that it might be reborn in the afterlife. While the painstaking mummification process achieved this goal of counteracting the effects of physical decomposition, the Ancient Egyptians were not satisfied with a wrapped body alone. Gorgeously decorated mummy cases and sarcophagi developed over the course of thousands of years so that the body could be properly presented to the audience of the gods awaiting the deceased’s arrival in the next world. These cases were created from a variety materials, including stone, wood, and cartonnage, that were utilized depending upon the wealth and status of the deceased. Some of the earliest examples were relatively unadorned, featuring the general shape of the body highlighted by idealized facial details. Later, they evolved into ornate memorials that sought to recreate the specific appearance of the memorialized individual, both in terms of physical features as well as clothing and jewelry. Polychrome paint infused the works with color and the finest examples were gilt.
This impressive large wooden coffin cover harkens back to some of the earlier examples in its stylization of the human form. The shape of the lid is highly abstracted, with no indications of limbs save for the flaring base that echoes the form of feet. The idealized face has been painted stark white, contrasting to the dark hue that colors the rest of the body. Facial details have been highlighted in black, including the eyes, eyelids, and eyebrows. Elaborate details in yellow paint decorate the rest of the work with traditionally funerary iconography. The hair on the tripartite wig that crowns the figure’s head has been suggested by parallel lines. The head of Horus appears on each shoulder, framing the head. Beaded necklaces fill the space between the upper torso and the main decorative scheme that depicts the funerary rites. A winged scarab covers the center of the coffin. Each feather on the outstretched wings has been meticulously painted on. Beneath this is a scene of the Four Sons of Horus standing in pairs on either side of a central altar flanked by two burning lamps. Underneath here is a fascinating representation of the mummification process. A corpse, replete with a wig, lies on top of a mummy preparation bed, the form of which suggest a kneeling figure. Under the table is a set of four canopic jars in which the viscera would have been placed. Two jackals lying down atop pedestals flank the mummy. Hieroglyphic text runs from just below this scene to the tip of the mummy’s feet, framed by images of a kneeling falcon-headed Horus and a winged cobra, one of each on both sides. This marvelous mummy coffin lid depicts the funerary rites of Ancient Egypt in minute detail while simultaneous serving as a monument of the mastery of Egyptian art. - (X.0436)

Antiquities
Ancient Egyptian