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Upper part of a Sarcophagus

The face of the sarcophagus is painted green, symbolizing resurrection. The ears are visible in front of the large wig, while the almond shaped painted eyes and small, upturned lips are typical for the Late Dynastic Period. 
 

Egypt

Late Dynastic Period, XXVI Dynasty , 663-525 BC

Wood with original gesso and polychrome painting

Height 53 cm ( 20 7⁄8 in )
Width 38 cm ( 15 in )

Former private collection Denmark acquired prior to 1975 in Cairo, by descent to the present owner
 
 

O. Koefoed-Petersen: Catalogue des sarcophages et cerceuils egyptines, Copenhague 1951
A. Küffer: Die Bedeutung des Sarges, Suiss Coffin Project 2012
K.M. Cooney: Coffins, Cartonnage, and Sarcophagi, John Wiley & Sons 2015
 
 

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The face of the sarcophagus is painted green, symbolizing resurrection. The ears are visible in front of the large wig, while the almond shaped painted eyes and small, upturned lips are typical for the Late Dynastic Period. The ceremonial beard, attached to the tip of the chin is coiled at the tip. The mask is cut just above the chest, below the voluminous headdress, and was originally fully painted, with the lines on the striated wig still visible. 

Anthropoid coffins like this example first appeared during the Middle Kingdom. They were skilfully carved so as to outline the mummy's body and decorated with the visage and wig of the deceased. Such coffins not only served to replicated the mummy's form but also served as substitutes for the bodies in case the body was lost or destroyed. Over time, these coffins featured increasingly elaborate iconographic programs and inscriptions.

This sarcophagus, like others of its kind, was traditionally carved from cedar—a material reserved for wealthy families who could afford such an exotic hardwood. Cedar was not native to Egypt, which had few high-quality native woods. Instead, the Egyptians relied on imports: ebony from Africa, and cedar and pine from Lebanon. An inscription by Thutmose III attests to the value of these materials: "They brought to me the choicest products . . . consisting of cedar, juniper, and of meru wood . . . all the good sweet woods of God's Land." The rarity of cedar meant that such coffins were a luxury. The present sarcophagus lid was cut from a single piece of wood, indicating that the deceased was an individual of high status.
 

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