Ancient Egypt, 26th Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. This is a polychrome wooden panel with a progression of figures that have been painted onto it with wooden bundle brushes. There are three seated deities, including a jackal-headed figure - Anubis without his usual implements? Or possibly Duamutef, one of the four sons of Horus? Vertical linear decorated columns and tall plants are also part of the painting. This was a panel on a sarcophagus, probably one made for a less elite member of society. By the time of the Late Dynastic period, the elaborate funerary rituals and furniture of the Egyptian grave had become an industry, mass produced, given to, for the first time, the non-elite. While in some regards, this signaled a decline in these religious practices and a simplification of motifs and artwork, it was also a democratization of death, opening up access to certain privileged religious rituals - and the promise of an eternal afterlife - to many more members of the society. Size: 31" W x 9" H (78.7 cm x 22.9 cm)

Provenance: From an old New Jersey collection acquired in the 1960's

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#118547

Some minor losses to the painted surface. Foam packing material has become adhered partially to the reverse side.