- Museum number
- EA22814
- Description
-
Base and lid of an anthropoid inner coffin of Seshepenmehyt: made of sycamore fig wood, with elaborate polychrome painted decoration. The coffin is a well-proportioned and fully three-dimensional image of a mummified entity standing upon a plinth and supported at the back by a pillar. The face is painted green. Below the collar Nut spreads her wings over Seshepenmehyt, and the scene of judgement and presentation to the gods is on the breast. In a small panel below, the Ba of the deceased is shown returning to the mummy, laid on its bier within the tomb, with canopic jars below. Otherwise the exterior of the coffin is dominated by blocks of inscriptions running vertically and laterally. These texts are written on backgrounds coloured alternately red and pale yellow. The insides of the inner coffin are also decorated, but in a simple style, with 'hotep-di-nesu' formula and figures of Nut drawn in black line on a white ground.
- Production date
- 600BC (circa)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 14.50 centimetres (Base)
-
Height: 26.50 centimetres (Lid - additional 4cm for protruding dowels)
-
Length: 177 centimetres (Base when horizontal)
-
Length: 177.50 centimetres (Lid)
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Width: 55.50 centimetres (Base)
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Width: 55 centimetres (Lid)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- In set with .22814
In set with 1869,1007.2
The inscriptions tell us little of Seshepenmehyt beyond the fact that she was 'lady of the house' and that she played the sistrum to accompany rituals in the temple of Amun-Ra at Thebes. X-rays of the mummy show that beneath the wrappings, is the body of an adult, who died between 25 and 40 years of age.
Bibliography:
B. Porter & R. Moss, 'Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs and Paintings' I (Part 2) (Oxford, 1964), p. 673;
C. Andrews, ‘Egyptian Mummies’ (2nd ed.) (London, 1998), p. 63, figs. 63-64;
Taylor in W. V. Davies (ed.), 'Colour and painting in ancient Egypt' (London, 2001), p. 174, col. pl. 54 [3];
J. H. Taylor and N. Strudwick (eds.), ‘The Theban Necropolis : past, present and future’ (London, 2003), p.114 [pls.64, 67, 75];
'Art and Afterlife in Ancient Egypt' Japan, 1999-2000 [exhibition catalogue] (Japan, 1999), [115];
J.H. Taylor and N.C. Strudwick, Mummies: Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt. Treasures from The British Museum, Santa Ana and London 2005, pp. 62-3, pl. on p. 62.
J.H. Taylor & D. Antoine, Ancient lives, new discoveries, London 2014, p. 50.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
2005-2008, California, The Bowers Museum, Death and Afterlife in Ancient Egypt
2014 23 Apr-01 Aug, Manarat Al Saadiyat, Abu Dhabi, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
2014-2015 13 Dec-15 Mar, National Palace Museum, Taipei, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
2015 18 Apr–28 Jun, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
2015 14 Jul–6 Sep, Kyushu National Museum, Dazaifu, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
2015-2016 20 Sep-11 Jan, Kobe City Museum, Kobe, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
2016 13 Feb-18 Jun, National Museum of Western Australia, Perth, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
2016-2017 08 Sep-29 Jan, National Museum of Australia, Canberra, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
2017 1 Mar-31 May, National Museum of China, Beijing, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
2017 28 Jun-08 Oct, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects'
2022-2023 13 Oct-19 Feb, Newcastle, Great North Museum, Decoding Hieroglyphics : Uncovering Ancient Egypt Reciprocal Loan
- Condition
- good
- Acquisition date
- 1869
- Department
- Egypt and Sudan
- BM/Big number
- EA22814
- Registration number
- 1869,1007.3
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: 22814B
