Gilded Wooden Coffin

The British Museum has so many different sarcophagi 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭𓏦 in their collection that it was almost overwhelming trying to see everything! I loved getting to see all of the different types of coffins 𓅱𓇋𓀾𓏪/sarcophagi 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭𓏦!

This particular sarcophagus 𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭, or it is better defined as a “mummiform coffin 𓅱𓇋𓀾” due to its human appearance instead of an oval or rectangular shape. These mummiform coffins 𓅱𓇋𓀾𓏪 are usually made of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 with a gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf overlay. This is a really cool ancient Egyptian “trick” because the gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf makes it look like the sarcophagus 𓅱𓇋𓀾 is made of pure gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 when it is not! Gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 is classified as a metal which means it is extremely malleable. Malleability is the ability of a metal to be hammered into very thin sheets. The gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf overlaying this sarcophagus 𓅱𓇋𓀾 is probably thinner than aluminum foil! 

I love pieces like this that are a little “worn” because it allows you a deeper look into the processes by which they were made! There is a hole in the forehead, which is where the Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 would be and the missing gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf allows the underlying wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 to be seen. The eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦 have stood the test of time and are still striking! 

There are three 𓏼 common ways to write “coffin” or “sarcophagus” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. There are definitely other variants, but this is what I have come across most often! 

𓅱𓇋𓀾 – The Mummiform Coffin, which usually takes on a human shape

𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 – A coffin, usually made of wood (hence the determinative for “wood 𓆱” in the word) 

𓎟𓋹𓈖𓐍𓊭 – A sarcophagus, usually made of stone in a rectangular or oval shape. 

This is where translating English and Middle Egyptian together can be a tiny bit difficult because we tend to use all of these words interchangeably in English!