An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
Coffin of Bakenmutc. 1000–900 BCE
The coffin of Bakenmut is one of the finest examples of painted wooden coffins made for the priests of Amen and their families at Thebes during Dynasty 21 and early Dynasty 22. The pharaohs of this time were no longer buried in the Valley of the Kings, but instead built tombs in the Delta, far to the north, where they resided. Security was lax in the Theban necropolis. The coffins and funerary goods of the wealthy citizens of Thebes were placed in unmarked and undecorated family tombs cut into the cliffs on the west bank of the Nile. All the care and detail that in more prosperous times were devoted to the decoration of the tomb chapel were now lavished on the elaborately painted coffins. Every available surface is crowded with religious scenes, images of funerary gods and goddesses, protective spells, and magical symbols. The deceased appears mummiform. An elaborate floral collar entirely covers the upper body, exposing only the separately attached hands (now lost). A pair of red "mummy braces" are crossed over the chest, their point of intersection marked by a winged sun disk. The lower body is covered with tiny figures modeled in gesso against a yellow background, which gives the effect of gold inlaid with glass or semiprecious stone. The decoration on the interior features two deified dead kings of Dynasty 18. Although these rulers had lived centuries before, memory of their greatness was still very much alive. The main scene near the top depicts Tuthmosis III, the great military pharaoh, who lived 500 years before Bakenmut. Posed as a mummy, the ruler wears a brilliant feathered garment enfolding him with falcon’s wings. The scene below features back-to-back seated images of Amenhotep I, regarded as the patron of the Theban cemetery and worshiped as a local god there.
Originally another smaller coffin was placed inside this outer coffin and in that the deceased with a mummy board would have rested.
gessoed and painted sycamore fig
Overall: 208 x 68 cm (81 7/8 x 26 3/4 in.)
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
In the hushed corridors of time, amidst the shifting sands of ancient Egypt, there lies a story embedded in wood and paint—a tale of reverence, loss, and the weight of remembrance. The coffin of Bakenmut, an extraordinary piece of artistry, whispers secrets of a forgotten dynasty. Crafted during the twilight years of Dynasty 21 and the dawn of Dynasty 22, this coffin stands as a poignant reminder of what once was.
Gone are the days when pharaohs were laid to rest in the famed Valley of the Kings; now, their eternal homes were carved into the Delta, far to the north, where their lives visually drifted like the gentle currents of the Nile. The atmosphere here felt relaxed, almost vulnerable. In the Theban necropolis, the sacred resting places of the wealthy no longer sparkled under the sun's gaze—they were unmarked and cloaked with simplicity, etched against the rough hewn cliffs beside the river.
Yet, even in this modesty, luxury found a way to emerge in vibrant strokes. While the grand tomb chapels of old may have faded into obscurity, the decorative artistry that adorned Bakenmut’s coffin erupted with life. Every inch was alive with color and purpose: the painted surfaces teeming with sacred imagery—gods and goddesses of the afterlife, protective spells crafted in ink and intent, and symbols of the mystical, fluttering like captive butterflies.
Bakenmut’s form, encased within this masterpiece, appears as if wrapped in lifelines of eternity. Cloaked in a lavish floral collar that completely envelops his upper body, only his delicate hands extend outward, once expressive but now akin to ghosts, having lost their grasp on the world. Across his chest cross red 'mummy braces,' their intersection crowned with a winged sun disk, radiating its promise of protection.
Yet it is the lower part of the coffin that captivates the eye—a shimmering tableau where tiny figures, crafted with painstaking care and modeled in gesso, dance against a backdrop of yellow, reminiscent of gold glimmering in the sunlight. Here, these figures exist in a realm of beauty, as if inlaid with fragments of glass or semiprecious stones, blending reality with ethereal dreams.
Turning the coffin, one meets the whispered echoes of history—painted reminders of two great kings from Dynasty 18, whose legacies loom large even centuries later. The most striking image near the top belongs to Tuthmosis III, the military pharaoh whose spirit has not dimmed even after five centuries. Depicted as a mummy swathed in an iridescent garment, he extends his falcon’s wings around him, offering strength and protection to the one who now rests beneath the artistry.
And in the solemn sanctuary of remembrance, the viewer encounters the haunting beauty of Amenhotep I, captured back-to-back with his predecessor. Seated and regal, he embodies the very essence of the Theban cemetery, revered and worshiped as a local deity, his image watching over the silent whispers of the departed— a guardian in a tomb rich with layered narratives.
In the folds of Bakenmut’s coffin, a tapestry of time unfolds, sewn with devotion and crafted from the spirit of a civilization that believed eternally. Here, in this enchanted space where stories linger, we find ourselves drawn to the heart of ancient Egypt—a captivating journey through loss, hope, and the enduring power of memory.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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