Death and Afterlife in Ancient Egypt

8/11/2019 Death and Afterlife in Ancient Egypt

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Death and Afterlife in Ancient EgyptPictures of Egyptian Mummies

In this gallery you can enjoy further selection of pictures of Egyptian mummies and related

items. All mummy images are copyright of The Mummies Exhibition or TutankhamunExhibition in Dorchester U .

The head the mummy of Tutankhamun . !een in the background is the magnificent golden

funeral mask of the boy ing. The majority of the death masks "ere made of gilded

cartonage# ho"e$er some pharaohs ha$e had solid gold masks made for them. %nly t"osuch examples ha$e sur$i$ed & that of Tutankhamun and 'susennes.

Mummy of Tutankhamun.
http://www.tutankhamun-exhibition.co.uk/http://www.tutankhamun-exhibition.co.uk/http://www.tutankhamun-exhibition.co.uk/


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(olden Mummy mask of an unnamed princess of the Middle ingdom around )*++ ,-E.

!he "ears a "inged $ulture headdress. This mask is a rare example of the gilded

cartonage items of this period. It "ould be placed o$er the head of the bandaged mummy

before being placed in the coffin. These pictures of Egyptian mummies is a short pre$ie"

of "hat is displayed in our Exhibition.


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(olden coffin of king ebukheperre Inyotref /II. )0th dynasty# )1++ ,-E. It is a rare type

of rishi coffin# made of gilded and painted "ood.

The ,ritish Museum of 2ondon# England# has the largest and most comprehensi$e

collection of ancient Egyptian material outside of -airo. Its spectacular collection consists


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of more than )++#+++ objects. Displays include a gallery of monumental sculpture and the

internationally famous collection of mummies and coffins.

Egyptian objects ha$e formed part of the collections of the ,ritish Museum since its

beginning. The original start of the Museum "as to pro$ide a home for objects left to the

nation by !ir 3ans !loane "hen he died in )045# about )4+ of "hich "ere from Egypt.

European interest in Egypt began to gro" in earnest after the in$asion of apoleon

,onaparte in )0*6# particularly since apoleon included scholars in his expedition "ho

recorded a great deal about the ancient and mysterious country. After the ,ritish defeated

the 7rench in )6+)# many anti8uities "hich the 7rench had collected "ere confiscated by

the ,ritish Army and presented to the ,ritish Museum in the name of ing (eorge III in

)6+5. The most famous of these "as the 9osetta !tone.

After apoleon# Egypt came under the control of Mohammed Ali# "ho "as determined to

open the country to foreigners. As a result# European officials residing in Egypt began

collecting anti8uities. ,ritain:s consul "as 3enry !alt# "ho amassed t"o collections "hich

e$entually formed an important core of the ,ritish Museum collection# and "as

supplemented by the purchase of a number of papyri.

Anti8uities from exca$ations also came into the Museum in the later )6++:s as a result of

the "ork of the Egypt Exploration 7und ;no" !ociety?++5# the ,ritish Museum signed a landmark fi$e&year collaborati$e agreement

"ith the ,o"ers Museum of !anta Ana# -alifornia# to sho"case its incredible collections

and to pro$ide a ser$ice to $isitors and especially students "ho aren@t able to tra$el to

,ritain. In April >++4# the ,o"ers Museum thus presented MummiesB Death and the

Afterlife in Ancient Egypt featuring a spectacular collection of )?+ objects from the ,ritishMuseum. 7or your enjoyment# The 3istory 'lace presents a slide sho" highlighting )?

items from the ,o"ers Museum exhibition.

About Egyptian Mummies

Mummies are one of the most characteristic aspects of ancient Egyptian culture. Thepreser$ation of the body "as an essential part of the Egyptian funerary belief and practice.Mummification seems to ha$e its origins in the late 'redynastic period ;o$er 5+++ ,-cm Thickness ).+ cm.

UPPER PART OF A STATUE OF OS"R"S#ra!odiori e %tolemaic %eriod 0!(/0! "#


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This fragment# representing the head and upper body of %siris# probably formed part of astanding statue of the deity. The god is dressed in the usual en$eloping and close&fitting

robe# and holds his arms crossed on his chest in his fists are the symbols of kingship# thecrook and the flail. %n his chin is the con$entional di$ine beard# the end of "hich is broken

off. 3e "ears the atef cro"n# "hich resembled the "hite cro"n of Upper Egypt# "ith afeather on both sides# and a pair of ram:s horns jutting out at the base. In artistic

depictions this cro"n is most fre8uently "orn by %siris# although it can be sho"n "ithother gods and appears on the head of the king at times its associations are "ith rebirth

and rene"al.

&OLD 'IN& OF SHESHON- 26th Dynasty 6th #entury "#


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This large gold ring of !heshon8 is of a shape common for such rings in the 2ate 'eriod# ashape "hich more or less totally replaced the earlier stirrup&shaped type. The lo engeshaped be el is so thick that the back had to be cut a"ay to accommodate the finger ofthe "earer the shank and the be el "ere made in separate molds and joined together. Itis incised "ith the name of !heshon8 and his title -hief !te"ard of the di$ine adoratrice.The be el could be pressed into mud to seal documents and objects. ,esides thisfunctional aspect# the ring "as no doubt as much ;if not more< "orn as a mark of!heshon8:s status and "ealth. The name !heshon8 is of 2ibyan origin# belonging to se$eralkings of the 2ibyan 'eriod# but it became popular among Egyptians from that time on"ard.Actual si eB Diameter 5.+ cm 2ength 5.? cm.

$ORN MUMMY "N WOODEN $OFF"N Li!e! wra%%i!gs& wa'& %ai! ed wood

$ate %eriod 661/0!( "#


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%siris# supreme god of resurrection# "as closely associated "ith the life&gi$ing forces ofnature# particularly the ile and $egetation. Abo$e all# he "as connected "ith germinatinggrain. The emergence of a li$ing# gro"ing# plant from the apparently dormant seed hidden"ithin the earth "as regarded by the Egyptians as a metaphor for the rebirth of a humanbeing from the lifeless husk of the corpse. The concept "as translated into physical formby the fashioning of images of %siris out of earth and grain. These corn&mummies "erecomposed of sand or mud# mixed "ith grains of barley. As in this instance# the mummyis sometimes "rapped in linen bandages and may possess a finely detailed mask of "ax#representing the face of %siris.

SHABT" OF AMENWAHSU S ea i e

&.th Dynasty about &2.(/&&'6 "#


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In the later )6th Dynasty there "as a mo$e a"ay from the fashion of depicting the deadas mummies and to"ards representing them as li$ing beings dressed in formal clothes.

This led to the creation of coffins# sarcophagi and shabtis in this form# although the moretraditional shrouded image continued to be used at the same time. This shabti of the

%$erseer of the (ranary# Amen"ahsu# exemplifies this trend. 3e "ears the curled double"ig and the pleated kilt "ith prominent apron that "ere fashionable dress for high officials

at the time. 3is arms and legs are free from the confining mummy&"rappings. 3e holds ahoe in each hand and has a grain&basket slung o$er his left shoulder.

FA$E OF A $OFF"N

Wood& e e% o# o.%idian and i*or %et in .ron/e%o!0et%

&'th Dynasty c &1!! "# or later


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The chief purpose of ancient Egyptian funerary rituals ;including mummification< "as toenable the indi$idual to pass from the earthly life to a ne" existence# in "hich he or she

"ould possess the attributes of di$ine beings. The out"ard appearance of the transfigureddead "ould reflect their ne"# god&like status. 7or this reason all images of the dead#"hether mummy&masks# anthropoid coffins or free&standing statues# "ere ideali ed#

representing the indi$idual as eternally youthful and free from all physical disabilities orblemishes. This face once formed part of the lid of a mummiform coffin.

Death and Afterlife in Ancient Egypt

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