Museum inventory number: 8525
Length: 212 cm; Width (max): 70 cm
Wood, plaster, paint, varnish.
Decorated with multicoloured paintwork and occasional use of moulded plaster.
The ears are moulded. The beard and the hands are carved in wood and attached to the lid.
The reverse side of the object is undecorated, as well as the underside of the footboard.
The left side is badly damaged, mainly on the headboard. The paint has collapsed on the wig, on the large floral collar and on the footboard.
The object was restored in the workshops of Florence Museum during the years 1957–1958.1
Iconography
Headboard
The tripartite wig is striped (yellow bands on a black background). A bunch of three lotus flowers hangs over the forehead. The skin is yellow and the contour of the eyes and eyebrows is traced in black. The pupils (black) are painted against a white background. The lips are outlined in red (Figs. 121–122).
The ears are moulded over the wig. The beard is painted black on the sides of the cheeks, while the long goatee is carved in wood and attached to the chin by a pin. This is painted black with a braiding motif outlined in yellow. The lappets of the wig are adorned with terminals (yellow).
Upper Section
The fists are painted yellow and crossed over the chest (Figs. 121–122). The forearms are hidden under the floral collar. The floral collar is remarkably large, extending from the neck to the abdomen. It displays up to 22 bands, but the variety of floral patterns used is surprisingly poor, showing only four different motifs: checkered motifs (2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 20th bands), lotus petals (5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 15th, 19th bands), lotus petals and persea-tree buds (3rd, 13th, 17th bands), lotus flowers and persea-tree flowers (1st band). Small lotus flowers cover the elbows.
Central Panel
The central panel displays three registers (Fig. 123). Most of the motifs are moulded in plaster to suggest relief, especially along the longitudinal axis of the composition, such as the scarabs, the bodies of the enthroned gods, the hwt-thrones, the solar disks, the tjet-signs, the imi-wt-totems, the hair and the body of the winged goddess. The edges of the tableau are bounded by longitudinal inscriptions (Inscriptions 3–4) and transversal block-friezes.
The first register shows a symmetrical composition. The nuclear block features a scarab holding up a solar disk (red). On each side of the scarab, a tjet-sign stands on a neb-sign. This composition is flanked by centrifugal blocks featuring an enthroned mummiform Osiris wearing the hedjet-crown. The imi-wt-totem stands at his feet. Centripetal blocks complete the composition featuring a squatted winged goddess. She outstretches her wings towards Osiris. The deceased is depicted under her wings as a kneeling mummiform god together with the udjat-eye. An enthroned god is featured above her wings.
In the second register figures a squatted winged goddess outstretching her wings towards both sides of the lid. She wears a solar disk (green) and a long tight dress (red). Liminal elements are symmetrically displayed above the wings of the goddess forming an alternate sequence of squatting deities, vultures, falcons, cobras and shetyt-shrines.
The third register recalls the composition of the first register. The nuclear block features a sacred scarab holding up a solar disk. Here the scarab rises from the nebu-sign, flanked by frogs. Large tjet-signs flank the scarab. The nuclear composition is flanked by the enthroned Osiris grasping the royal scepters and wearing the hedjet-crown. The imi-wt-totem stands at his feet. The title ‘Osiris, the Lord’ is written over his head. The centripetal blocks feature a squatted winged goddess outstretching her wings towards Osiris, embracing the deceased (depicted as a kneeling mummiform god), the udjat-eye, and a sacred cobra. A squatted jackal-headed god and the udjat-eye are depicted above her wings.
Along the edges of the composition, additional blocks form four autonomous registers. From top to bottom one detects the Ta-wer-totem standing on the nebu-sign, decorated with a double-feathered solar headdress. Next to the totem figures a sacred cobra, a squatted mummiform god and the imi-wt-totem. In the second register figures a mummiform god squatting on a reed mat. The third register displays an enthroned mummiform Osiris grasping the royal scepters and wearing the hedjet-crown. A sacred cobra, the imi-wt-totem figure at his feet. The fourth register is badly damaged on both sides, but a sacred cobra resting on a reed mat can be detected.
Loose hieroglyphs are found between the interstitial areas of the compositions. An abundant use was made of liminal elements which are depicted all around the main figures.2
Lower Section
This section is arranged in three longitudinal partitions (Fig. 124). Two longitudinal bands of text run down the edges from the elbows to the footboard (Inscriptions 3–4). Most of the motifs of the central partition are moulded in plaster to suggest relief, such as the tjet-knot, solar disks, mummiform gods, scarabs and mats.
The central partition is flanked by two longitudinal columns of text (Inscriptions 1–2) bounded by block-friezes. It displays three registers, each one decorated with a symmetrical centripetal composition. Elaborate friezes with geometrical and floral motifs divide the registers.
In the first register the tjet-knot (black) is crowned with a solar disk (green) flanked by pending cobras. The centripetal blocks feature a mummiform deity wearing a solar disk. He is squatted on a mat and the nebu-sign.
The second register displays the sacred scarab (black) holding up a solar disk. These motifs are flanked by squatted mummiform gods wearing a solar disk. They grasp was-scepters.
The third register recalls the composition of the first one, with a central tjet-knot (black) crowned with a solar disk (green) flanked by pending cobras. This motif is flanked by mummiform gods (moulded) wearing sun disks (red) and squatted on nebu-signs.
The lateral partitions display three registers bounded by transversal block-friezes. Each scene depicts the deceased wearing tight garments and the usekh-collar. He stands before an enthroned Osiris with the imi-wt-totem at his feet. Osiris wears the hedjet-crown. A winged deity is depicted behind the god. In the first register this winged deity is featured as a large solar falcon resting on the nebu-sign. The label Lord of the burial’ is found on the upper part of the vignette. In the second register, this deity is depicted as a standing goddess. She wears a tight beaded dress and wears the solar disk (green). The labels ‘Isis’ and ‘Osiris, lord of the burial’ are found on the upper part of the vignette.
In the third register, a winged cobra is featured, with the solar disk (red). The labels ‘Osiris’ and ‘Neith’ are found above.
Footboard
The footboard follows the same tripartite organization observed on the lower section (Fig. 125). The edges of the footboard are bounded by inscriptions (Inscriptions 3–4) and a block-frieze. The central partition is inscribed with three inscriptions (Inscriptions 5–7) bordered by Inscription 1 and Inscription 2.
The layout of the lateral partitions presents two registers. The first register is badly damaged on both sides, but an offering scene can be detected. The deceased makes an offering before an enthroned mummiform god.
The second register displays a reversed vignette. The decoration on the left side collapsed, but on the right side a standing god wearing a long garment (black) adorned with braces (red) can be detected. The scene recalls the royal Heb Sed festival. The god grasps a long mace. The imi-wt-totem stands at his feet and an offering table is depicted before him. On the left side, a small mummiform figure squatted before the imi-wt-totem can be detected.
Inscriptions
Two longitudinal inscriptions (Inscriptions 3–4) are written along the edges of the lid. Inscriptions 1 and 2 divide the lower section of the lid into three partitions. The hieroglyphs are outlined in red and painted in blue, green and red. Some of the hieroglyphs used in these inscriptions are sophisticated, such as the upright mummy (Gardiner A53), the sacred falcon (Gardiner G5), the mwt-vulture (Gardiner G15), the crested ibis (Gardiner G25), the fatted duck (Gardiner G42), the sacred barque (Gardiner P1) and the Osiris seat (Gardiner Q2). The inscriptions are centripetally oriented.
Inscription 1
jmꜣḫy ḫr Wsi̓r, nb nḥḥ, ḫnty I̓mntt, nṯr ꜥꜣ, nb ꜣbḏw, di̓.sn ḥtpw, ḏfꜣw, ḫt-[nbt] nfrt wꜥb[t], ḫt-nb[t] nfr[t] nḏm[t], ḫꜣ m kꜣw, ḫꜣ m ꜣpdw, ḫꜣ m šs, mnḫt [n] sꜥḥ [ ] wꜥb
The venerable one before Osiris, the lord of eternity, the foremost of the West, the great god, lord of Abydos. That they (sic) [read: he] may give offerings and provisions, everything good and pure, everything good and sweet, a thousand of oxen, a thousand of fowl, a thousand of alabaster and clothing to the noble one, the wab-priest.
Inscription 2
jmꜣḫy ḫr Rꜥ-ḥr-ꜣḫty-tm, nb tꜣwy, I̓wnwy, nṯr ꜥꜣ, ḫꜥ m wi̓ꜣ, s.ḥḏ.f tꜣwy [m] ꜣḫty[.f], nb i̓ꜣwt [---] st [---] ḥtpw ḏfꜣw, ḫꜣ m kꜣw, ḫꜣ m ꜣpdw, ḫꜣ m [---]
The venerable one before Re-Horakhty-Atum, the lord of the Two Lands [and] of Heliopolis, the great god who appears in the barque, while he enlightens the Two Lands with his eyes, the lord of the sacred mounds [---] place [---] offerings and provisions, a thousand of oxen, a thousand of fowl, a thousand of [---].
Inscription 3
i̓mꜣḫy ḫ[r] [--- ḫꜣ m] kꜣw, ḫꜣ m ꜣpdw, ḫꜣ m ḫt-nb[t] nfr[t] wꜥb[t] [n?], ḫꜣ m ḫt-nb[t] nfr[t] nḏm[t], ḫꜣ m šs, mnḫt.
i̓nk ꜣst, mwt nṯr, i̓rt Rꜥ, ḥnw.t [ ] di̓.s ḥtpw, ḏfꜣw, ḫꜣ m kꜣw, ꜣpdw, ḫꜣ m šs mnẖt [n] Wsi̓r wꜥb n I̓mn, sš n [pr-I̓mn]
The venerable one before [--- a thousand of] oxen, a thousand of fowl, a thousand of all things good and pure, a thousand of all things good and sweet, a thousand of alabaster and clothing.
I am Isis, the divine mother, the eye [of Re, the mistress of], so that she may give offerings and provisions, a thousand of oxen and fowl, a thousand of alabaster [vessels] and clothing [for] the Osiris, the wab-priest of Amun and Scribe of [the Temple of Amun].
Inscription 4
i̓mꜣḫy ḫr ꜣst, mwt nṯr, wr[t] sḥ-nṯr. di̓.s ḥtpw ḏfꜣw, ḫt-nb[t] nfr[t] wꜥb[t], ḫt-nb[t] nfr[t] nḏm[t], ḫꜣ m kꜣw ꜣpdw, [šs, mnḫt] [n] Wsi̓r, i̓mꜣḫy ḫr ꜣst, mwt nṯr, i̓rt [Rꜥ] di̓.s ḫꜣ m kꜣw ꜣpdw, ḥtpw, ḫt-nb[t] nfr[t] wꜥb[t] n Wsi̓r wꜥb n [pr-I̓mn], sš
The venerable one before Isis, the divine mother, the great one of the divine shrine, may she give offerings and provisions, everything good and pure, everything good and sweet, a thousand of oxen and fowl, [a thousand of alabaster [vessels] and clothing] [for] the Osiris, the venerable one before Isis, the divine mother, the eye [of Re] that she may give a thousand of oxen and fowl, offerings and everything good and pure for the Osiris, the wab-priest and scribe.
The central partition of the footboard is inscribed with three columns of text (Inscriptions 5–7). The spaces reserved for the name of the deceased were left blank.
Inscription 5
i̓hhy n Rꜥ-ḥr-ꜣḫty-tm, nb tꜣwy, I̓wnwy, nṯr ꜥꜣ, ḫꜥ m wi̓ꜣ, s.ḥḏ.f tꜣwy[m] ꜣḫ[ty.f],
Rejoicing to Re-Horakhty-Atum, lord of the Two Lands, and of Heliopolis, the great god who appears in the barque, while he enlightens the Two Lands with [his] eyes.
Inscription 6
ḏi̓[.f] ḥtpw ḏfꜣw, ḫt-nb[t] nfr[t] wꜥb[t] n Wsi̓r wꜥb n I̓mn [Space left blank for the name]
May he give offerings and provisions, everything good and pure to the Osiris, the wab-priest of Amun [Space left blank for the name].
Inscription 7
ḏi̓[.f] ḥtpw ḏfꜣw, ḫt-nb[t] nfr[t] [n] Wsi̓r wꜥb n I̓mn [Space left blank for the name]
May he give offerings and provisions, everything good [to] the Osiris, the wab-priest of Amun [Space left blank for the name].
Figure 121
Lid (A.56). Headboard and upper section
Figure 122
Lid (A.56). Headboard and upper section (drawing)
