Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Mummified Human Remains of a Woman Inside a Painted Cartonnage
(Ancient Egypt and Nubia )
Mummification preserved mortal remains in order to house the Ka, or life force of the individual, as it needed to return to the body to find sustenance. The human-shaped covering, called "cartonnage," is composed of layers of linen and plaster. Its painted decoration includes the floral wreath on the wig, a broad collar, and a winged scarab beetle. Five additional registers of decoration show the protective four sons of Horus, the sacred boat of the funerary-deity Sokar, a depiction of Osiris mummified on a funerary bed, a divine falcon god, and a short hieroglyphic text with an offering formula.
See the additional media for a facial reconstruction of the deceased person, courtesy of Michael Brassell, as well as a color reconstruction of the cartonnage.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
[Excavated at Deir el-Bahri by the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian Expedition, Winter of 1930-1931, by Ambrose Lansing]; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, ca. 1930-1931; Walters Art Museum, 1941, by exchange.
Exhibitions
| 1998-2001 | Highlights from the Collection. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1978 | In Search of Ancient Treasure: 40 Years of Collecting. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Geographies
Egypt, Western Thebes, Temple of Hatshepsut (Deir el-Bahri)
(Place of Origin)
Egypt (Kid-Friendly)
Measurements
H: 65 3/4 x W: 18 1/8 x D: 10 13/16 in. (167 x 46 x 27.5 cm)
Credit Line
Museum acquisition by exchange with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1941
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
79.1
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