Starting in the Third Intermediate Period, the body of the deceased was sometimes wrapped in funerary nets, attached to the bandages by laces and drawstrings. The nets were composed of cylindrical beads strung together in a rhomb pattern. The beads were usually made of faience, in some cases of gold. These nets, which remained in use until the Ptolemaic period, can be of several types, distinguished by the nature and quantity of amulets placed upon them, made from faience, wood or plaster, paint d’or engraved on small plaques, with à jour decorations and sometimes covered with thin gold leaf. Starting in the 23rd Dynasty, funerary nets replaced the inner coffins of Cartonnage; therefore, we may assume that they served the same function, i.e., the protection of the mummy. The net displayed here is the result of a painstaking restoration. It extends from the shoulders down to the ankles and at chest level it bears a winged scarab, the divine manifestation of the early morning sun Khepry, and the four sons of Horus (Imsety, Duamutef, Hapi and Qebehsenut) personifications of the four canopic jars.
