Description:
This is a multicolored fragment from a mummy cartonnage, showing a scene of mummification. In the middle we see the deceased, lying on a bier which is lion-headed and has animal legs. Four jars are shown beneath the bier. The jackal-headed god Anubis touches the breast of the mummy, probably anointing the body; in his raised left hand he holds a jar which contains the material used for anointing. On the left and right we see two goddesses, Isis and Nephthys, acting as wailing women, with one hand raised in a gesture of mourning. Behind these women two of the children of Horus are depicted, each holding a strip of linen. The whole scene is framed by bands in various colours.
Dating:
Graeco-Roman Period, after 330 B.C.
Size:
Width max. 24 cm, height 8 cm.
Provenance:
US private collection B.P., since the 1950s.
Condition:
Fragment of a larger cartonnage, with losses to the edges, some surface wear and minor losses to the upper layer, and some staining and encrustation, as shown on the photographs. Overall in very good condition.
SOLD
Stock number:
E0859