Tag for Mummy of a Stonecutter, with Text in Greek and Demotic
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
Preserving the name of the deceased was essential to rebirth in the afterlife. In the Roman Period, wooden tags were attached to mummies to help preserve the name for eternity. In Greek the tag on the right (37.1395E) reads, “Horos, son of Psenmonthes, stonecutter”; in Demotic Egyptian it reads, “The Osiris, Horus, son of Psenmonth, the stonecutter and the Prophet of Imhotep.” The tag on the left reads in Greek, “Pecheisis, son of Apollonius. He lived fifty-eight years.”
MEDIUM
Wood, ink
DATES
30 B.C.E.–365 C.E.
PERIOD
Roman Period (probably)
DIMENSIONS
2 7/16 x 4 x 1/2 in. (6.2 x 10.2 x 1.2 cm)
(show scale)
ACCESSION NUMBER
37.1395E
CREDIT LINE
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
Wooden mummy ticket. The ticket is roughly rectangular with one of the shorter sides tapering. This projection is pierced, and a fragment of cord passing through this hole is preserved. The piece is inscribed on one of the large surfaces with a text in Greek and Demotic. The inscription reads: “Horos, son of Psenmonthes, stone cutter. Osiris, Hor son of Psenmonth, the hw, the Prophet of Imhotep”.
Condition: Good.
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Tag for Mummy of a Stonecutter, with Text in Greek and Demotic, 30 B.C.E.–365 C.E. Wood, ink, 2 7/16 x 4 x 1/2 in. (6.2 x 10.2 x 1.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1395E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.1395E_front_PS1.jpg)
IMAGE
front, 37.1395E_front_PS1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2007
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Creative Commons-BY
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