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Ibis mummy

An ibis mummy in the shape of a slightly malformed domed teardrop. It had a false head and neck made of rolled and resined textile inserted into it. The eyes are cunningly appliqued in white and dark brown. One side of the head is black and elegant, but the other side has some sort of chaff attached to it. The body is spirally wrapped with tightly woven bandages. A concentration of bandages at the pointed end reinforces the contents. Traces of oils and embalming agents are visible throughout. Under the final spiral wrappings there are at least fifteen layers of vertical bandages and large pieces of cloth. The CT scans show a complete but disjointed skeleton of an adult ibis. The head is folded to the left, resting along the sternum and forced under one wing.

Suppl. 11038
Organic animal+plant fiber / Linen
14.6 cm x 10.4 cm x 40 cm
750–370 BCE
Third Intermediate Period – Late Period
Asyut
Excavation Ernesto Schiaparelli, 1910–1912
Museum / Floor 1 / Room 11 RET / Cabinet 49 Mummies / Shelf 02
Museo Egizio