Egyptian Wood Coffin Panel w/ Inscribed Hieroglyphs

Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A lengthy rectangular panel fragment from an anthropoid coffin carved from dense hardwood. One side of the panel features a single column of inscribed hieroglyphic symbols including a standing bird, a five-pointed star, and a rippling body of water above a domed bowl; this was perhaps meant to be displayed on the exterior of the coffin. Exhibited on the reverse side - meant as the interior coffin walls - are thirty-five partial columns of inscribed hieroglyphs that, while untranslated, likely provide protective incantations, offerings for the deceased, and instructions on how to pass unabated into the afterlife. Remains of several mortises and dowels are visible along the upper and lower peripheries, and fine patina has formed across the entire fragment. Size: 28.75" L x 5.625" W (73 cm x 14.3 cm)

Anthropoid coffins first appeared during the Middle Kingdom era - skillfully carved so as to outline the mummy's body and decorated with the visage and wig of the deceased individual. Such coffins not only served to copy the mummy's form kept within, but also as actual substitutes for the bodies in the event that the body of the deceased was lost or destroyed. As time progressed, these coffins were decorated with more extensive iconographic and hieroglyphic programs, presenting a greater number of inscriptions as we see in this example.

Provenance: private J.H. collection, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, acquired in 2005; ex-private eBay seller, Sugar Land, Texas, USA

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#151068
Condition Report: This is a fragment of a larger wooden coffin. Losses to some peripheral areas, parts of original dowels, and some hieroglyphic symbols as shown. Minor splintering in some areas, with light softening to some inscribed hieroglyphs, and light encrustations within some recessed areas. Great patina throughout, and many original hieroglyphs are still visible and clear.