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Ashcombe Museum of Art & History
Archaeology & Antiquities

Canopic Jar with Jackal's Head (lid)

Funerary ObjectVessel

Details

Author / creator
Egypt, Late period (715–332 BCE), Dynasty 26
Object type
Archaeology
Date or period
664–525 BCE
Dimensions summary
Diameter: 16.3 cm; Diameter of mouth: 9 cm; Overall: 42.6 cm
Site or findspot
Saqqara, Egypt
Cultural period
Ancient
Place of origin
Egypt
Acquisition method
Purchase
Credit line
Purchased with the Hartley Bequest Fund, 1921
Image rights
Public domain (CC0)

About this object

In the process of mummification, the liver, lungs, stomach, and intestines were removed, separately embalmed, and stored in specialized jars known as canopic jars (after a sailor in Greek mythology, who died at the town of Canopus in the Nile Delta and was worshipped there in the form of a human-headed jar). Each organ was identified with one of four funerary deities collectively known as the Sons of Horus: the liver with Imsety (man's head), the lungs with Hapy (baboon's head), the stomach with Duamutef (jackal's head), and the intestines with Qebehsenuef (falcon's head). It was their duty to protect the deceased and restore to him his body parts in the hereafter.

Materials and technique

Travertine

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