Shrine-shaped case for an animal mummy surmounted by a lizard

Late Period–Ptolemaic Period

664–30 B.C.

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 138

The lizard in later periods of Egyptian history was linked with the creator and solar god Atum, in large part because of their reptilian tendency to warm themselves in the sunshine. Almost all copper alloy representations show the lizards prone, with legs slightly splayed, as if basking in the sun’s rays. Most rest on top of boxes that would have held mummified lizards. Boxes like these generally open at the back end for the insertion of the mummy; on this shrine-shaped example, the bottom panel slides out, allowing for easier access. These boxes would have been offered in temples or for deposition in animal necropoleis, not just in honor of Atum, but also in broad connection with other animal representations linked to solar cult, such as shrew mice, ichneumons, or falcons.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Shrine-shaped case for an animal mummy surmounted by a lizard
Period: Late Period–Ptolemaic Period
Date: 664–30 B.C.
Geography: From Egypt
Medium: Cupreous metal
Dimensions: L. 15.4 × W. 4.6 × D. 5.9 cm (6 1/16 × 1 13/16 × 2 5/16 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Darius Ogden Mills, 1904
Object Number: 04.2.510
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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