Intermediate Coffin of Kharushere

The second part of a four-piece assemblage, this anthropoid coffin takes the typical form of the group (86.1.31–86.1.34) with straight shoulders and a broad upper body that tapers slightly at the knees. The nest of coffins housed the mummy (86.1.35) of Kharushere, a Doorkeeper of the Gate of Amun. Here the deceased is shown in a long wavy wig held by a fillet, with a wide collar draped around his shoulders. His relatively small face was painted red and left unvarnished. An interesting detail here is a thin black line that has been painted between the eyebrow and the upper eyelid of the naturalistic eyes.

Beneath the collar is a kneeling figure of the goddess Isis, her arms outstretched to protect the body beneath. The lower part of the coffin is adorned only with two lines of inscription, enhanced and emphasized by the bare wood that surrounds them. The cool colors – the blue of the striated wig and the green and blue of the inscription – turn the attention of the viewer toward the red face.