|
Falcon Mummy Case
Egypt, Greco-Roman Period, Ptolemaic, ca. 332–30 B.C.
Wood with polychrome and gilding
Gift of Barney Ebsworth in honor of Sam and Mary Cooke, 1992 (8696.1)
Animal cults flourished in Egypt from as early as the 14th century B.C., reaching their peak in the first millennium B.C. Animals were often associated with deities and were mummified not as pets or as a food source, but as sacred animals to be purchased by pious pilgrims as offerings in temple precincts. Although in the shape of a falcon, the Academy’s case is not believed to contain such a bird. Rather, it seems likely that this is a coffin for a corn-mummy. Many such mummies were composed of fabric wrapped around earth and organic matter such as corn and grain, materials suggestive of regeneration and resurrection.
|