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 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
impressive large wooden coffin cover harkens
back to some of the earlier examples in its
stylization of the human form, idealization of the
face, and relative unadorned exterior state (the
majority of the work features remnants of dark
paint that once covered the coffin). 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 detailed carving of the head
contrasts to the smooth state of the body. The
figure wears a a tripartite wig, painted dark
black, that are the hallmarks of royal regalia.
The facial features are highly idealized with large
eyes and a sweetly smiling mouth. By far, the
most impressive feature of this coffin is not the
cover, but the decoration we find inside.
Adorning the back of the interior is a
representation of the goddess Isis standing to
the right, holding her arms outwards. Rendered
in blue and red against a black background, the
goddess wears a large circular headdress that
announces her divine nature. Considering that
this decoration would have been unseen when
the coffin was closed, we can presume that this
representation of Isis either played an integral
part in the funerary rites, or was supposed to be
seen by the deceased upon waking up in the
afterlife.
- (X.0213)
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