Coffin fragment of Pakherenkhonsu
Third Intermediate Period
Fragments of three nested anthropoid coffins and a cartonnage case for the Doorkeeper of the House of Amun, Pakherenkhonsu, were found in a pit (Pit 1) in Tomb MMA 832, a reunsed tomb of Dynasty 11 that contained material from a number of later burials. This board, bearing an ink sketch of Pakherenkhonsu himself, comes from the head end of the middle coffin box.
Pakherenkhonsu is shown here as an older man, with a bald head and a few extra pounds, attesting to his sedentary occupation. In his right hand is a broom, perhaps a symbol of his priestly rank and temple duties.
The freehand drawing, a masterpiece of Egyptian art, captures the essence of the living person with a minimum of detail. It belongs to a group of statues and reliefs made at Thebes in Dynasty 25, which use the rules of traditional Egyptian art to achieve startlingly realistic effects.
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