Archaeological Museum of Bologna

Coffin-shaped sarcophagus dedicated to Ibi

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A sequence of “false door” wooden panels, a motif taken on from the Old Kingdom funeral architecture, adorns this sarcophagus, which belonged to a “Mistress of the House”, Ibi. There is only a central ornate panel depicting a sumptuously decked table on one of the longer sides of the sarcophagus, between two false doors vividly painted. Under a row of small ointment jars intended for the care of deceased’s body can clearly be discerned conical, triangular and rounded loaves of bread, bunches of grapes, various cuts of beef, among which the right foreleg, heart and head of the ox stand out, a bunch of leeks, a small heap of figs, a large pumpkin and two jars with an uncertain content. A few leafy heads of lettuce are placed against the two sides of the central prop holding the table, alternated with wine and oil amphorae. The abundance of the funeral offer table, as usual, is guaranteed in eternity by the magical-religious inscription in hieroglyphs running a little above the table band all around the sarcophagus, from right to left, and reciting: “This is a funeral offer the Lord Pharaoh makes to god Osiris, lord of the city of Gedwt (Busiris), great god-lord of the city of Abydos, so that he give a funeral offer consisting in loaves of bread, beer, oxen, fowl, linen fabrics and every other good, pure and organic thing for the Ka soul of the devoted mistress of the house Ibi…”.

Provenance: Unknown origin
Datation: 12th - 13th dynasty (1938-1640 B.C.)
Material: Painted wood
Dimensions: Height: 75 cm, length: 185 cm, width: 56,5 cm.
Bibliography: Il senso dell’arte nell’antico Egitto, Milano 1990, n. 157
Inventory #: EG 1959