Cleveland Museum of Art

Coffin of Senbi (Lid)

Date

1918–1859 BCE

Medium

gessoed and painted cedar

Culture

Egypt, Meir, Middle Kingdom (2040–1648 BCE), Dynasty 12, reign of Amenemhat II (1929–1895 BCE)–reign of Senusret III (1878–1839 BCE)

Department

Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

This is the most common type of coffin during the Middle Kingdom. The mummy was placed on his left side, facing east, his head behind the two magical eyes. These--in the shape of human eyes, to which have been added the markings of a falcon's head--were supposed to enable him to behold the rising sun, reborn daily. The long horizontal inscriptions are prayers to Anubis (god of embalming) and Osiris (god of the dead) for offerings of food and drink and other items necessary in the afterlife. The short vertical inscriptions place him under the protection of various other cosmic and funerary deities.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.