Fragments of an Egyptian coffin lid
€26,400
available
Object number
AR3468
| Object: |
Painted fragments of an Egyptian coffin
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| Material: |
Wood, covered with stucco and polychrome painting.
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| Period: |
1994 BC to 1938 BC, early 12th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt, Middle Kingdom. |
| Description: |
Two large fragments of an Egyptian wooden rectangular coffin. They probably come from the lid. Both fragments are covered on the front with a thin layer of white stucco and then painted in multiple colors with hieroglyphs and decorative elements. One fragment is primed in yellow and painted with a horizontal band and the beginning of a vertical band going downwards, with white and black edges. Inside the band is a beige background and a hieroglyphic sacrificial formula, the beginning and end of which have not been preserved. It reads as follows, with the passages in brackets completed according to the standard scheme, (A sacrifice that the king gives, and Osiris, ) the lord of Busiris, the first of the west, the great god, the lord of Abydos, he gives an invocation sacrifice of bread, beer, beef, poultry, [...]. And for the lower column, jmAxw (xr), the cared for, (followed by the unpreserved name of the owner of the coffin) The other fragment is primed in yellow in the same way and has a horizontal band with a multi-colored border. In it is a row of beautiful polychrome hieroglyphs with the following interpretation. [...] Thoth, the two imperial sanctuaries of Upper and Lower Egypt, the great ennead of gods of Heliopolis, who make [...] Based on this inscription, it can be assumed that the coffin was found in the area around Heliopolis. At the bottom of the fragment, the beginning of the Book of the Dead texts that once followed on the coffin can still be seen. |
| Background: |
The reunification of Egypt marks the beginning of the Middle Kingdom. The regional conflicts during the First Intermediate Period are over. This upheaval is also clearly visible in the artistic production. Art returned to a definite structure and clear forms. But another stylistic element can be recognized in the coffin painting described here: the energetic and powerful colours that reflect the dynamism of the political and cultural new beginning. The artefact offered by us is thus an example of the perfection and energy of the art of the Middle Kingdom.
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| Dimensions: |
The fragments are each approximately 98cm wide or long, respectively. The frame is 107cm x 56cm.
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| Condition: |
Great overall impression and a prime example of Middle Kingdom craftsmanship. These two large pieces are fragments. The fragments themselves are wonderfully preserved, most of the surface still has the original stucco, primer and paint. There are a few areas with flaking, abrasion or repairs. The fragments are attached to a wooden base plate and were professionally framed and put behind glass around 1980. The reflections and interference make it difficult to take photos through the protective layer. For a human observer who moves their head, however, it is easier to look through the glass.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2023 from the estate of the German collection Manfred Weyergans. Acquired from him on 22 October 1979 from the antiquities dealer H. Geppert from Dueren, Germany (a copy of the invoice is available).
Mr. Geppert acquired the piece on 3 April 1976 from Alexander Sandmeier, Gallery of Egyptian Art in Goettingen, Germany (a copy of the invoice and cover letter are available).
The coffin fragments are shown with a translation and description in the gallery's price list from October 1975 as number 20 (a copy is available).
Based on the inscription on the coffin fragment, it can be assumed that it was found in the area around Heliopolis. There is a letter from Prof. Juergen Settgast from the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, Germany, dated 17 October 1979, in which Prof. Settgast writes about this piece and classifies it artistically and chronologically. |
| Published: |
Alexander Sandmeier, Gallery of Egyptian Art in Goettingen, Germany, price list October 1975, number 20.
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| References: |
Cf. Edward L. B. Terrace, Egyptian Paintings of the Middle Kingdom (New York, 1968), pp. 52 and 162. For the dating, which is based on the kind help of Prof. D. Kurth, cf. Th. Schneider, Lexikon der Pharaonen, pp. 316f. |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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