Mask and Foot Cover of "Corn Mummy"

Ptolemaic Period

400–250 B.C.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 133

A reconstructed body of ancient linen was created in the 1940s in order to display this mask and foot cover. Originally they belonged to a similarly shaped figure that was filled with grain, which is why such figures are called "corn mummies." They represent the god Osiris and, since the grain could sprout, they symbolized new life.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Mask and Foot Cover of "Corn Mummy"
Period: Ptolemaic Period
Date: 400–250 B.C.
Geography: From Egypt
Medium: Gilded wax on a reconstructed body of ancient linen
Dimensions: H. 68 cm (26 3/4 in.); W. 14.4 cm (5 11/16 in.); D. 11.8 cm (4 5/8 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Goddard DuBois, 1942 (42.6.1b, d–f), 1944 (44.6.1)
Object Number: 44.6.1
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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