Mummiform Egyptian coffin of the priest Djehutymose, 684-525 BC, Kelsey Museum 1989.3.1

For much of Egyptian history, the bodies of the dead were placed in coffins, which typically bore texts giving the names, titles, and parentage of the deceased and, for wealthier persons, religious texts for provisioning and protection in the Afterlife. The Kelsey Museum houses a splendid example in the coffin of the priest Djehutymose.

The texts on this coffin give the name of Djehutymose and information about his family: his father was named Nespakhered, and his mother was Taro. Both Djehutymose and Nespakhered were priests of the falcon god Horus and the "Golden Goddess" Hathor, while Taro is identified as a "Lady of the House." The family probably lived near Edfu in southern Egypt, home of the cult of Horus, and the coffin probably comes from the nearby cemetery at Nag el-Hassaia. Djheutymose's priestly titles and the fine quality of the coffin show the family to have been fairly prosperous.

The coffin itself is carved to represent the mummy of Djehutymose. He is depicted wearing a striped headdress and broad collar necklace. His face is green, in imitation of the god of the dead Osiris, who is often shown with a green face as a symbol of regeneration and rebirth. Djehutymose also wears a false beard, another characteristic of Osiris.

The coffin is covered with representations of protective deities. From head to foot, Djehutymose is protected by three winged goddesses: Nephthys on top of his head, Nut on his chest, and Isis (wife of Osiris) on top of his feet. More unusual in terms of Egyptian traditions is the snake that encircles the entire lid of the coffin, its tail and head meeting above Djehutymose's feet. In addition to protection, the circled snake also symbolizes the eternity that Djehutymose expects to  enjoy.

Djehutymose himself appears in one scene on the front of the coffin, where he is being embalmed by the jackal-headed god Anubis. His soul, in the form of a human-headed bird, hovers above. Beneath the embalming bed sit four canopic jars containing and protecting Djehutymose's entrails, removed during the mummification process. Below this scene is a procession of gods and goddesses.

The coffin's interior also bears protective texts and images, including large depictions of the sky goddess Nut and the funerary goddess Imentet; these two goddesses are positioned in such a way that when the coffin was close, they embraced the mummy.

It is apparent from the coffin's condition that Djehutymose's funeral did not go entirely according to plan: his embalmed and wrapped body turned out to be a little too large to fit into the coffin. This unfortunate situation was remedied by carving out space at the shoulders and feet of the coffin interior.