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. As
mummification techniques became more and
more advanced over time, so did the coffins
become more and more elaborate. During the
Middle Kingdom, mummy masks were made
from plastered linen and became increasingly
larger until they covered the entire upper body.
Eventually, wooden mummy cases covering the
entire body became the standard. These cases
were created from a variety of 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 gorgeous wooden mummy case is a
masterpiece of Ancient Egyptian art. The elegant
form and intricate painted decorations are
hallmarks of the Egyptian style. More than a
mere artifact, this magnificent work is a symbol
for the glories of Ancient Egypt, from the
grandeur of the Pyramids to their vast pantheon
of deities. Physically, this work demonstrates the
capabilities of the carver as well as the technical
precision of the painter. Spiritually, this
sculpture stands for the complex religious
beliefs that formed the foundation of the
civilization. The form of the case echoes the
form of the mummified body that would have
once rested inside. Aside from the finely carved
face and the suggestion of feet, the body is
highly abstract, bearing little evidence of limbs
or musculature. Clearly, the most impressive
aspect of this mummy case is the brilliant
polychrome paint that decorates its surface. A
virtual textbook on the funerary beliefs of the
Ancient Egyptians, the iconography of the
painting is filled with deities and symbols
relating to the great beyond. The lid of the case
has been roughly divided into two zones: an
upper half depicting the face and an elegantly
painted band of beaded necklaces, and a lower
zone dedicated to hieroglyphic text. A
representation of winged Isis crowned with a
solar disk kneeling above a panel depicting gods
of the underworld flanked by two black dogs
serves as a partition between these two zones.
The bottom or back of the case has been
adorned with the image of Isis painted light blue,
again crowned by a solar disk, standing beneath
a giant djed column that was an Ancient
Egyptian symbol of stability. As related to
funerary rites, the djed was considered an
essential aid during the transformation of the
human flesh into the spiritual form assumed by
the deceased for all eternity. The djed pillar
features a solar disk, and arms emerge from its
sides, offering the goddess below a heart
amulet. Individually framed representations of
the four sons of Horus, who were closely
identified with the viserae removed from the
body during the mummification process, flank
the scene of the djed column, covering the
shoulders and the sides of the lower back. A
stripped tripartite wig covers the head of the
mummy case and serves as a visual link between
the two sides. This mummy case comes from a
set of three cases that were commissioned by a
single family. This particular case would have
once held the matriarch of the family. The
heiroglyphic inscription identifies her as Tai-es
Khen, the wife of Iret Heru-ru and daughter of
Pa-di Amun (her father) and Tai-ef Ineput (her
mother). Originally, she would have been
accompanied by a case holding her husband and
another smaller case holding their child.
- (X.0466)
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