Miniature coffin for funerary figurine of Queen Neferu

Middle Kingdom

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 105

Several miniature coffins were found in the tomb of queen Neferu. They were inscribed with funerary formulas and the name of the deceased like actual coffins. Each of the miniature coffins contained a wax or mud figurine of a nude woman wrapped in linen and identified as Neferu herself by a short inscription. Such figures are known from other tombs of Dynasty 8 and 11. Funerary figurines of this type are probably the forerunners of the so called shabtis, which evolved in Dynasty 12 and became very popular from the New Kingdom on.
Placed inside this miniature coffin was originally the figurine 25.3.243a. For other such figurines and coffins see 25.3.240a-c, .241a-c, .244a-c.

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