Mummy case,

945–712 BCE

These panels once formed part of the inner coffin that held the body of an elite individual. They were made using a technique known as cartonnage, in which layers of plaster and a fiber, often papyrus, were molded around the irregular surfaces of the mummified body. The plastered encasing provided an even, consistent ground, more stable than a linen shroud, on which scenes and motifs could be painted. After this set of panels was modeled around the mummified body, it would have been tied around the back with strings, and a wooden board would have been placed under the soles of the feet. While many of the images painted here are typical for cartonnage of this period, their specific combination and arrangement are unique and perhaps point to an individual’s selection of imagery.