Ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Art at the CMA
Historical, artistic, and cultural highlights of the objects to be studied
Egyptian Funerary ArtThe Cleveland Museum of Art devotes three galleries to the art of ancient Egypt, arranged according to themes. For students, perhaps the most engrossing theme is the concept of
the afterlife. Many legends about the ancient Egyptian fascination with death have been perpetuated by Hollywood and the media. But a careful study of ancient Egyptian art reveals a great love of life-to the extent, for example, that scenes from a person's life were painted and carved on the walls of a tomb to magically "come alive" in the afterworld.
Coffins were an important part of the ritual of preserving the body so that the deceased's ka (soul) could have a place to reside, and preservation of the body also helped maintain a person's identity in the afterlife. The museum has a magnificent pair of coffins that were among the earliest additions to the collection. In remarkable condition, they look much the same as they would have when first created about 3,000 years ago.
The Coffin of Bakenmut housed a man by that name, as identified by an inscription in hieroglyphs on the coffin's exterior. The face on the coffin lid is meant to be his portrait.
A casual examination of the coffin's surface reveals a wealth of detail. Coffins made at this time (the Third Intermediate Period,
Dynasties 21-22) are elaborately painted and shaped in human form. On the lid is an area of breakage where sculpted hands may have once been attached. Notice the overall yellow color of the background, which may have suggested the gleaming color of a gold. Other details are modeled in relief in the gesso, perhaps to suggest the appearance of inlaid jewels.