Coffin knob (?)

This object of painted wood has been identified as a “knob” that would have protruded from one of the short sides of the lid of a rectangular coffin and used to lower it into place during the funerary ceremonies. After the burial, the projecting part of the knob would have been sawn off, leaving a cylindrical shape, as can be seen on a number of Middle Kingdom coffins (see for example, 32.3.427. For a clear example of such a knob, belonging to the steward Wah and found in his tomb, see 20.3.202c.

The cylindrical surface of this object is painted a solid blue. One end is decorated with blue lotus flowers and green leaves arranged symmetrically around a central disc in red. This iconography would be suitable for a funerary object, as the lotus is associated with the regeneration or rebirth of the deceased. However, Wah’s knob and other known examples of this type are unpainted, and it is difficult to find Middle Kingdom parallels to the style of the floral decoration. Research on this unusual piece and a similar example (29.2.6), purchased at the same time, is ongoing.