Coffin Fragment

Modelled face sculptured from a single piece of wood. The front is naturalistically formed but the back surface is a flat plane. The face (or “mask”) was carved separately and would have been pegged in place on the coffin during the manufacture process. A sculptured wooden wig would have been affixed to the head by pegs. This construction technique was widely used during the First Intermediate Period and Late Period (1069 BC – 332 BC). On the front is adhered a white label with printed number "Lot 94", from when the item was sold at Steven's Auction House, London, 4 July 1905 (Rev. Thomas Ranger Lawrence collection) Lot 94/2 "Two others [masks from mummy cases] of good style". CONDITION NOTE (1998): Old insect infestation, some cracking appearing, discolouration, black residue on nose and mouth, surface dirt, label adhered to forehead. Rev. Thomas Ranger Lawrence (1847-1902) was Chaplain of Ramleh, and of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Institute, Alexandria, Egypt. He formed a collection of antiquities that was sold on 4 July 1905 by Mr. J. C. Stevens, London, and a sales catalogue was published: 'Collection of Antiquities of the Egyptian, Greek, Roman and later periods by the late Rev. T. Ranger Lawrence', which is avaialble online on the archive.org website.