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Coffin fragment of Pakherenkhonsu

Third Intermediate Period
ca. 721–664 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130
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.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Coffin fragment of Pakherenkhonsu
  • Period: Third Intermediate Period
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 25 (Kushite)
  • Date: ca. 721–664 BCE
  • Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, el-Khokha, Tomb MMA 832 (H 3), Pit 1, Burial of Pakherenkhonsu, MMA excavations, 1914–15
  • Medium: Wood, paint
  • Dimensions: L. 40.5 × W. 22 × D. 5.5 cm (15 15/16 × 8 11/16 × 2 3/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1928
  • Object Number: 28.3.52
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Head end of the outer coffin box of Pakherenkhonsu, Wood, paste, paint
Head end of the outer coffin box of Pakherenkhonsu
ca. 721–664 BCE
Knob Fragment from Wah's Coffin, Coniferous wood (spruce, cedar?), plaster
Knob Fragment from Wah's Coffin
ca. 1981–1975 B.C.
Arched Harp (shoulder harp), Wood
Arched Harp (shoulder harp)
ca. 1386–1300 BCE
Face from Inner Coffin of Pakherenkhonsu, Wood, paint
Face from Inner Coffin of Pakherenkhonsu
ca. 721–664 BCE
Middle Kingdom Coffin Fragment, Wood, paint
Middle Kingdom Coffin Fragment
ca. 2124–1981 B.C.

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