Coffin of Djedhoriufankh
From Thebes, Egypt
Late
21st or early 22nd Dynasty, 950-900 BC
Priest of Amun and scribe
Coffins from Thebes of the period around 1000
to 900 BC are very highly decorated, with many small scenes on both
the exterior and interior. This is probably due to the burial
practice of this period, where many members of a family or
priesthood were placed in an undecorated tomb over a long period of
time. Elements of decoration that during the preceding New Kingdom
(about 1550-1070 BC) would have been placed on tomb walls, were
instead incorporated into the
coffins.
The decoration on
the coffin of Djedhoriufankh, painted in red, green, blue and white
on a yellow background, is typical: The
hieroglyphic
labels are placed on a white background so that they stand out. One
of the themes is the deceased offering to various deities, in this
case including several forms of the sun god. Another common motif
for the scenes is the resurrection, symbolized by winged scarabs
and winged sun discs. These are derived from the wall paintings of
tombs of the New Kingdom (about 1550-1070 BC). Other themes are
taken from the funerary papyri of the time, including the creation
of the world and the judgement of the deceased (like that from the
Book of the Dead of
Hunefer).
S. Quirke and A.J. Spencer, The British Museum book of anc (London, The British Museum Press, 1992)