Ancient Egyptian Beaded Funerary Shroud with Four Sons of Horus
Circa 664-332 BC - Late Period
This intricately detailed funerary mummy shroud, restrung into its original configuration, features a visage of the deceased. The facial depiction includes a broad nose crafted from brown beads, a brown bead outline defining the contours of the face, brown eyebrows, eyes with cream sclera and dark pupils, and red parted lips. Below the face, a winged scarab is depicted, and further below, simplified representations of the four sons of Horus are present.
The four sons of Horus, namely Imsety, Hapy, Duamutef, and Qebehsenuef, are traditionally associated with protecting the internal organs of the deceased during the mummification process. Imsety is linked to the liver, Hapy to the lungs, Duamutef to the stomach, and Qebehsenuef to the intestines.
Cf. The Art Institute of Chicago, Reference Number 1894.967.
Dimensions: 23cm x 11cm x 0,3cm
Provenance: Private European Collection; formerly acquired from old UK and European collection formed since the 1970s.