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Egyptian Artifacts

British Museum Funerary Display

There’s a lot going on in this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, but I really like this display at the British Museum! This display contains statuesΒ π“„šπ“ˆ–π“π“­π“€Ύπ“ͺΒ that all have to do with funerary practices.Β 

On the bottom left, there are multiple figures of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figures connect three gods π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉ that are connected to rebirth/resurrection into a single statue π“„šπ“ˆ–𓏏𓏭𓀾. These statues π“„šπ“ˆ–𓏏𓏭𓀾π“ͺ became popular during the Late Period and they seemed to have evolved from the figures of Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ that became popular in tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“¦ during the 19th Dynasty (New Kingdom). These figures are always a mummiform figure on a wooden π“†±π“π“Ί base. 

On the bottom right is a corn mummy in a falcon π“ƒ€π“‡‹π“Ž‘π“…„ sarcophagus π“ŽŸπ“‹Ήπ“ˆ–π“π“Š­. While millions of animal mummies have been found at sites all over Egypt π“†Žπ“…“π“π“Š–, mummies made of grains like wheat and barley have also been found. Corn Mummies are meant to be a representation of the god π“ŠΉ Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ and Egyptologists came to this conclusion because the β€œcoffins” that contain the corn mummies almost always contain Osiris’ π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­ name π“‚‹π“ˆ– and his titles/epithets.

The middle-right shows wooden π“†±π“π“Ί funerary figures of Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ and Nephthys π“‰ π“π“†‡ which were also popular figures to find in tombs π“‡‹π“«π“Šƒπ“‰π“¦ from the Late Period and onward. Isis π“Š¨π“π“₯ and Nephthys π“‰ π“π“†‡ were sisters π“Œ’π“ˆ–π“π“π“ͺ and both funerary goddesses π“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“ŠΉπ“. Similar statues π“„šπ“ˆ–𓏏𓏭𓀾π“ͺ can be seen in museums around the world!

The top left shows various figures and representations of the god π“ŠΉ Osiris π“Ήπ“Š¨π“€­, who was the main funerary god π“ŠΉ in the Egyptian pantheon.