Description:
Wing-shaped bright blue plaque with smooth surface, and 3 holes for sewing onto mummy wrappings. Displayed as left wing but is reversible.

Label Text:
According to ancient Egyptian belief, the body was required for use in the afterlife and every effort was taken to preserve it. After mummification, bodies were placed in rectangular or human-shaped coffins that sometimes had inlaid eyes. Coffins were often brightly painted, as is shown by the fragments with floral garlands and the sheltering wing of a deity. A winged scarab amulet sewn onto the mummy wrappings over the heart ensured the individual’s success at the time of judgment and, in later periods, bead netting covered the bandages. The dead frequently wore jewelry, including bracelets of cowrie shells, ivory, or other materials.

Tags:
ancient; archaeology; deaths; tombs; afterlife; religion; rituals; ceremonies; jewelry

Subjects:
Tombs; Rituals; Jewelry; Future life; Death; Civilization, Ancient; archaeological objects; Rites and ceremonies; Religion

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=MH+2000.2.INV

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.