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Gilded outer coffin of Henutmehyt
Elaborate
housing was designed to protect the mummy—the preserved body of the deceased—for
the ancient Egyptians believed that in the afterlife, the spirit or ba continued
to use the body as a home, and that the dead had the same physical needs as the
living. To ensure the integrity of the body, they employed the process of mummification—removing
the internal organs of the deceased (which were preserved and stored separately),
dehydrating the corpse with salts, and wrapping it in linen cloth. These procedures
were accompanied by elaborate rituals and took nearly three months. Central as
mummification was to the afterlife, it was only one way in which care was taken
to provide for the next world. Indeed, the majority of the objects in the Museum’s
Egyptian collection were buried in tombs for the comfort of the deceased—and
many others were ritual objects used by the living on behalf of the dead. Henutmehyt's outer coffin provides a magnificent idealized image of the dead woman, adorned with her full wig. A collar is spread over the breast, and below it hangs a pectoral (chest) ornament flanked by protective wedjat eyes. The sky-goddess Nut spreads her winged arms protectively across the body, and the hieroglyphic text immediately below invokes her. Vertical and horizontal bands divide the remainder of the lid into compartments which are occupied by figures of the Sons of Horus and the goddesses Isis and Nephthys. Further divine figures are painted along the sides of the coffin. Height:
208 cm
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From
the tomb of Henutmehyt, Thebes, Egypt
19th Dynasty, around 1250 BC
British
Museum
A Theban priestess
The
inner coffin of Henutmehyt is entirely covered in gold leaf, apart from her wig,
eyes and eyebrows. This lavish use of gold, and the high quality of the rest of
her funerary equipment indicates that Henutmehyt was a wealthy woman.
As is usual with coffins of this date, her arms are crossed over her chest. Her hands are shown in three dimensions, with her delicate fingers outstretched. Below is a kneeling figure of the sky-goddess Nut, with her wings unfurled, protecting the deceased. Nut also appears on the outer coffin and mummy board.
The lower body is divided into sections by a long vertical inscribed band, and several horizontal bands. These follow the arrangement of the outer bandages of Henutmehyt's mummy, and are also mirrored in the other elements of the coffin group. These neatly divide the surface into six areas. The upper four contain the Sons of Horus, who usually protected the internal organs of the deceased, but could be invoked to guard the mummy as well. The lower two areas, over the feet, contain the adoring figures of Isis and Nephthys. They are also believed to protect the deceased.
Height: 187 cm
Width: 46 cm
From
the tomb of Henutmehyt, Thebes, Egypt
19th Dynasty, around 1250 BC
A
Theban priestess
The
fine quality of Henutmehyt's funerary equipment shows that she was an individual
of considerable wealth. As well as an outer and inner coffin, her mummy was covered
with a mask and openwork case. This combination of mask and cover is known as
a 'mummy board', and is typical of Egyptian burials of the Nineteenth Dynasty
(about 1295-1186 BC). It was placed directly over the bandaged body within the
inner coffin.
The mummy board of Henutmehyt is made of expensive imported cedarwood, which has been plastered and gilded. Unlike earlier examples, the mask covers the upper body and includes her crossed arms. She is shown in exactly the same way as she appears on her outer and inner coffins.
She wears a long wig with a lotus flower on the top, and her tresses are bound with gold bands. Around her neck she wears a deep and elaborate collar or garland. The openwork case has a central column and numerous horizontal bands of inscription. These recall the arrangement of the bandages of the mummy, and divide the area into scenes. The scenes show the deceased before the various gods of the Underworld.
Height: 173 cm
Width: 38 cm