Circa: 600 BC to 300 BC
Dimensions: 13.5 " (34.3cm) high x 11.25" (28.6cm) wide
Style: Late Kingdom
This monumental granite head is a fragment from a stone sarcophagus of the Late Dynastic Period. In its complete state the head would have been attached to a recumbent body above a large rectangular coffin containing the mummified remains of the deceased. Hieroglyphic inscriptions would have the named the owner and possibly included spells from the Book of the Dead. The expense of the material and the quality of the carving indicate that the sarcophagus belonged to a high ranking official who had both the wealth and the status to place such a commission.
For the ancient Egyptians the furnishing of a tomb could be a life-long occupation. Preparing for the afterlife as well as displaying worldly wealth were the two main concerns. The mummified remains would not have been placed directly within the granite sarcophagus. For extra protection and ceremony another equally elaborate coffin, probably made of a more perishable material such as wood, would have been included inside. Anthropoid-shaped coffins originated during the Middle Kingdom and soon became the standard form. The preservation of the deceased’s image, albeit highly idealised, was considered critical to the soul’s rebirth.