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Sarcophagus

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

On View: Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
Found in a royal tomb, this sarcophagus, or monumental coffin, housed the mummy of a prince or his wife. A pattern of niches imitating the designs on palace walls decorates its surface, alluding to the sarcophagus’s function as the deceased’s final home. Holes drilled in each end of the lid allowed poles or ropes to be inserted in order to carry it and position it on the box.
MEDIUM Granite
  • Place Excavated: Giza, Egypt
  • DATES ca. 2585–2532 B.C.E.
    DYNASTY Dynasty 4
    PERIOD Old Kingdom
    DIMENSIONS 51 1/4 x 93 1/4 x 41 in. (130.2 x 236.9 x 104.1 cm) Cavity: 27 3/16 × 23 13/16 × 74 in. (69 × 60.5 cm, 1.88 m)  (show scale)
    ACCESSION NUMBER 48.110
    CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
    PROVENANCE Eastern cemetery, mastaba G7650, pit C, the tomb of Prince Akhethotep (Akhethetep), Giza, Egypt; before 1942, excavated by George Reisner for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; 1948, purchased from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston by the Brooklyn Museum.
    Provenance FAQ
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Red granite sarcophagus with separate cover. No inscription. Facade panelling around all exterior surfaces of box. Upright, running full width at each end of cover, each with two drill holes. Cover undecorated and perhaps unfinished. Rebate on under-side of cover. Probably belonging to prince Akhet-hotep. Condition: Three corners of box chipped. Scattered chips along base. Lower edge of cover chipped. General condition excellent. Very slight remains of paint along upper borders of box.
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
    CAPTION Sarcophagus, ca. 2585–2532 B.C.E. Granite, 51 1/4 x 93 1/4 x 41 in. (130.2 x 236.9 x 104.1 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 48.110. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 48.110_SL3.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, 48.110_SL3.jpg., 2017
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