Collection
/
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Snake Coffin (Atum)

664–343 B.C.E.

1 of 5

Object Label

Among the numerous varieties of animal coffins, one of the most interesting is a bronze coffin decorated with figurines depicting the animal inside. Bronze figurines could be used as offerings made to gods to accompany a request, just as animal mummies were used for this purpose.

These two coffins combine the figurine tradition with the animal mummy tradition.

Caption

Snake Coffin (Atum), 664–343 B.C.E.. Bronze, lead, 2 15/16 x 1 7/16 x 3 1/8 in. (7.5 x 3.6 x 7.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Evangeline Wilbour Blashfield, Theodora Wilbour, and Victor Wilbour honoring the wishes of their mother, Charlotte Beebe Wilbour, as a memorial to their father, Charles Edwin Wilbour, 16.600. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum (Gavin Ashworth, photographer))

Gallery

Not on view

Title

Snake Coffin (Atum)

Date

664–343 B.C.E.

Dynasty

Dynasty 26 to Dynasty 31

Period

Late Period, or later

Medium

Bronze, lead

Classification

Funerary Object

Dimensions

2 15/16 x 1 7/16 x 3 1/8 in. (7.5 x 3.6 x 7.9 cm)

Credit Line

Gift of Evangeline Wilbour Blashfield, Theodora Wilbour, and Victor Wilbour honoring the wishes of their mother, Charlotte Beebe Wilbour, as a memorial to their father, Charles Edwin Wilbour

Accession Number

16.600

Have information?

Have information about an artwork? Contact us at

bkmcollections@brooklynmuseum.org.