Egyptian Mummy

To answer this question, it is necessary to define both what we mean by “art” as well as what constitutes a mummy. For the purposes of this essay, art shall be defined as a work or object created by a person to achieve a specific ceremonial, practical, and/or aesthetic effect (though objects created for a solely practical purpose fall more readily under the category of design). Clearly the Egyptians created art to be placed in a tomb; much of the body of Egyptian artifacts today are some form of burial art. However, the line between the mummy itself and an object meant simply to accompany it into the afterlife is somewhat blurred when it comes to those designed to protect the body. The centerpiece of any funerary hoard, the sarcophagus is often

Preservation of the body was a necessity so that the soul would not be lost after death, and would experience a semblance of life as well as remain accessible to the bereaved (Teeter 120). This paradigm heavily influenced Egyptian artwork and ideas about the human form. The canon of proportion revolves around portrayals of strength, youthfulness, and eternal endurance, whether depicting the living or the dead. Petosiris’ shroud (Figure 1) departs from this somewhat, at least in the surviving portion of the design, where more focus is given to images of embalming and revivification. In one frame a figure is shown lying on a table, body given the outline of a sarcophagus, then in the frame above the central character wears enormous multicolored wings, and the Eye of Horus appears on both sides, again a reference to eternal life. Because this example is late in the era of ancient Egypt, from the 26th dynasty, the iconic twisted profile figures are less apparent, while the curved-line figure with hands held in front becomes a repeating motif, as does a dense geometric pattern that mimics layers of jewelry. The sun disk is also visible in several places; although the Amarna period was well past, its influence was not quite erased. The colors used in the design also have a certain amount of

Does respect for another culture’s funerary traditions outweigh the knowledge to be gained from them? In the case of Egyptian mummies, probably not. They should absolutely be studied; the real question is where and by whom. The British Museum’s policy for repatriation of human remains is request-based and only applies to those less than 1000 years old (“Human Remains”); while somewhat arbitrary, it generally protects relics of dead cultures regardless of the current stability of the land from which they originate. At the same time, that the British Museum has deemed itself the arbiter of the safety of historical artifacts, insisting that museums in other countries (notably Greece, but Egypt as well) are unprepared to care for such valuable items, reflects the unfortunate imperial history and cultural superiority complex that allowed those pieces to be removed from the country in the first place and whose influence persists