A Coffin Dispersed: Case-study of 21st Dynasty Coffin Fragments (Timişoara 1142–1146, Budapest 51.325)

Abstract

Study of the iconography and texts on sections of a 21st Dynasty coffin in the collection of the Museum of Banat in Timişoara, Romania, shows that the vignettes as well as the texts are unusual for such coffins. A notable feature is that the deceased is nowhere shown on the fragments, and bands of text (that on other coffins end with the name of the deceased) fill the entire area leaving no room to add the personal name. The lack of a name, the corrupt texts, unusual iconography, and the lack of varnish may reflect the lack of resources of the coffin’s owner. A fragment in Budapest (51.325) is shown to join the Timişoara coffin sections. The dismantling/sawing of an object to make it more portable and saleable reflects an established practice of late 1800s and early 1900s Egyptian antiquities market.