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The 26th Dynasty, also known as the
Saite Period, is traditionally placed by
scholars at the end of the Third
Intermediate Period or at the beginning
of the Late Dynastic Period. In either
case, the Saite Period rose from the
ashes of a decentralized Egyptian state
that had been ravaged by foreign
occupation. Supported by the assistance
of a powerful family centered in the
Delta town of Sais, the Assyrians
finally drove the Nubians out of Egypt.
At the close of this campaign,
Ashurbanipal’s kingdom was at the height
of its power; however, due to civil
strife back east, he was forced to
withdraw his forces from Egypt. Psamtik
I, a member of the family from Sais,
seized this opportunity to assert his
authority over the entire Nile Valley
and found his own dynasty, the 26th of
Egyptian history. Known as the Saite
Period due to the importance of the
capital city Sais, the 26th Dynasty,
like many before it, sought to emulate
the artistic styles of past pharaohs in
order to bolster their own claims to
power and legitimize their authority.
The preservation of the physical remains
of the deceased was an essential aspect
of Egyptian funerary practices. As
mummification techniques became more and
more advanced over time, so did the
cartonnage coffins become more and more
elaborate. The cartonnage was
manufactured by putting several layers
of linen (or, much later, papyrus) on
top of each other and molding it into a
human form with the help of a cast.
Finally, the surface of the cartonnage
was painted and decorated in vibrant
colors, sometimes including gilding.
During the Middle Kingdom, mummy masks
were made from plastered linen and
became increasingly larger until they
covered the entire upper body.
Eventually, wooden mummy cases covering
the entire body became the standard.
However, by the Third Intermediate
Period, the use of cartonnage to create
these innermost coffins was revived,
perhaps because the material lends
itself to bright painting. Here, the
chest panel and the panel that would
have covered the legs have been
preserved. The chest panel features a
winged sun disc at the top. Below,
painted beaded necklaces decorate the
panel. At the bottom, a winged,
kneeling Isis is present looking towards
the right. The leg panel is decorated
with the images of the gods of the
underworld. The vibrant hues of the
original polychrome have been remarkably
well preserved. This gorgeous pair of
cartonnage mummy decorations reveals
that the Ancient Egyptian devoted as
much energy to the decoration of the
body as they did to its preservation.
- (X.0378)
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