Painted & Gilded Mummy Case of an Infant

Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
by
published on 10 April 2016
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Painted & Gilded Mummy Case of an Infant

The constructional details of this case are not fully visible, but the materials used included linen and plant fibers. A painted bed-net on a pink background imitates the garment often shown worn by Osiris. The modeled arms and hands grasping the crook and flail scepters emphasize the symbolic association between the dead child and the god. The elaborate falcon-head terminals of the collar are unusually represented as standing proud of the shoulders. A gold pectoral is represented on the breast, and figures of the four sons of Horus are painted at the sides. The gilded face mask is surmounted by a row of gilded uraeus-serpents and a solar disc. The support for a crown, now lost, survives at the top of the head. From Akhmim, Egypt. Graeco-Roman, 1st century BCE to 1st century CE. (The British Museum, London)

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2016, April 10). Painted & Gilded Mummy Case of an Infant. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4812/painted--gilded-mummy-case-of-an-infant/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Painted & Gilded Mummy Case of an Infant." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified April 10, 2016. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4812/painted--gilded-mummy-case-of-an-infant/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Painted & Gilded Mummy Case of an Infant." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 10 Apr 2016. Web. 27 Oct 2021.