Région d’Hérakléopolis, Ihnasya el Medina ou Abousir el-Melek

Collection Jean-Jacques Rotthier (1932 - 2009), puis par descendance

Du Nil à l’Escaut, Bruxelles, Banque Lambert, 5 avril - 9 juin 1991, n° 244 et 245

E. Gubel, Du Nil à l’Escaut, catalogue d’exposition, Bruxelles, Banque Lambert, 5 avril - 9 juin 1991, n°244-245.

P. Dils, “Die Särge des Iahtesnacht”, in. U. Verhoeven, Das saitische Totenbuch der Iahtesnacht. P. Colon, Aeg 10207, vol. 1, Bonn, 1993, pp. 6-12.

U. Verhoeven, “Das saitische Totenbuch der Iahtesnacht. P.Colon.Aeg 10207”, vol. 1, pp. 1-6, et vol. 2, pls. 1-2 (sarcophage extérieur) et pls. 3-4 (cercueil) in. Papyrologische Texte und Abhandlungen, Bonn, 1993.

K. Stövesand, “Regional Variability in Late Period Egypt: Coffin Traditions in Middle Egypt”, in. J. H. Taylor et M. Vandenbeusch, Ancient Egyptian Coffins. Craft, Traditions and Functionality, Leuven, 2018, pp. 396-7, fig. 5

This funerary ensemble in the name of the lady Iahtesnakht, whose patronym likely points to the region of Herakleopolis Magna, consists of an outer rectangular sarcophagus containing an anthropoid inner coffin and is directly associated with an exceptional Book of the Dead papyrus, now preserved at the University of Cologne (papyrus Coloniensis 10207). When fully unrolled, this illustrated scroll measures over twenty meters in length. It records, just as the sarcophagus and coffin presented here do, the name of the deceased as well as those of her parents, Pa-shery-en-awy and Ta-dit-iu. Moreover, a fragment of this same papyrus (see the exhibition Du Nil à l’Escaut) was until recently still affixed inside the anthropoid coffin at the level of the deceased's head. The only element missing from the ensemble today is the mummy itself, of which only a few linen wrappings adhering to the interior of the coffin remain as final evidence.

The outer sarcophagus is rectangular in shape and surmounted by a vaulted lid symbolizing the celestial vault. Despite some material losses—particularly to the base and lateral panels—the decorative program remains largely legible. The chest is predominantly covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions, interrupted along the long sides by mummiform protective deities—five on one side and four on the other. At the head end appears a painted false door surmounted by a pair of wedjat-eyes, symbolically enabling the deceased to look outward. The head and foot ends bear representations of the sister goddesses Isis and Nephthys, kneeling upon the hieroglyph for gold. On the lid, the deceased is shown on both sides in adoration before the solar god’s nocturnal and diurnal barques, each drawn by divine processions. The short ends are decorated with cartouches containing the names of Osiris, flanked by two recumbent jackals. The interior of the lid is painted with a nearly full-length depiction of the goddess Nut, shown frontally and nude, her arms extended toward the solar disk as she envelops and protects the deceased.

The inner anthropoid coffin represents Iahtesnakht in mummiform guise. The body is decorated in light tones against a dark ground, contrasting with the fully polychrome treatment of the upper torso. The deceased has a light complexion, with eyes and eyebrows painted in black. She wears a tripartite wig that leaves the ears exposed and is adorned with a vulture headdress. A broad floral collar covers her chest. The upper body features a depiction of the goddess Nut spreading her wings protectively over the mummy of the deceased, who is shown lying upon a lion-headed funerary bed above a set of canopic jars. Along the sides, processions of deities accompany the deceased and frame the hieroglyphic inscriptions covering the legs and feet, except for the central section reserved for the funerary god Sokar, represented as a mummified falcon. The exterior of the coffin box is adorned with a monumental anthropomorphic djed-pillar, crowned with a composite crown and holding the crook (heqa) and flail (nekhekh), attributes of Osiris and symbols of resurrection. The interior of the lid is likewise decorated with the goddess Nut, here shown in profile and clad in a long, form-fitting garment, ensuring the protection and rebirth of the deceased. Above the goddess, a lacunary strip of bitumen marks the former attachment of the now missing papyrus band.

Now entrusted for sale by the heirs of the collector Jean-Jacques Rotthier, who served as its respectful custodian, this funerary ensemble stands out for its remarkable integrity. Its direct association with a Book of the Dead papyrus preserved at the University of Cologne enhances its historical significance and makes it an important testament to funerary practices at the beginning of the Late Period of ancient Egypt.