Egyptian Late Dynastic Wooden Mummy Headrest

**Originally Listed At $1200**

Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A finely-preserved wooden headrest carved in two sections used to support the head of a mummy. Headrests were of this type (constructed from two or more separate sections) are believed to have had several functions. The Egyptians normally slept on their sides and the curved upper section held the head above the bed. At their most prosaic, the headrests were frequently buried with the mummy providing a place to rest the deceased's head and were found inside the coffin. Also, the importance of elevating the head was integral with their religious practices as it was intended to aid in resurrection mimicking the sun god rising above the horizon and playing a part in the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony described in the Egyptian Book of the Dead (or the "Book of Going Forth by Day"). Size: 9.7" W x 7.25" H (24.6 cm x 18.4 cm).

For a stylistically-similar example of the upper headrest portion with extended lateral fins, please see the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.80.202.7: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/headrest-with-dual-carved-images-of-bes-emerging-from-a-lotus-blossom/jwEhpf00KH1_Dg

Provenance: private Pennsylvania, USA collection; ex-William Ashby estate collection, California, USA, 1980s

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#149014
Condition Report: Small losses to base and head rest. Upper head rest component is detachable from the lower body. Nicks and abrasions to both components, with a few stable fissures to lower body, and minor staining. Light earthen deposits and great patina throughout.