Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access) · vessel

Canopic jar of Nephthys

Source of record: Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access) — catalogued by the holding institution. View the original record →

Description

Indurated limestone, paint, linen

AI image analysis claude-haiku-4-5

Machine-generated from the object's image on May 2026. Not curatorial; treat deities, names, and signs below as the model's best reading, not authority.

A canopic jar lid in the form of a human head (likely female) carved from limestone, with inlaid eyes and linear eyebrow markings, belonging to the funerary assemblage of Nephthys.

This is a finely carved canopic jar consisting of a limestone vessel body topped with a sculptural head serving as a lid. The head exhibits classical Egyptian proportions with a broad, serene face, almond-shaped eyes outlined in black with inlaid pupils, and neat linear eyebrows. The coiffure features a sophisticated parted hairstyle with vertical striations suggesting linen or natural hair arrangement. The facial features are rendered with remarkable naturalism and symmetry, characteristic of Middle Kingdom sculptural work. The vessel body below is globular and smooth, with surface patination showing age and burial exposure. The combination of carved stone elements with careful attention to facial detail and inlay work demonstrates skilled craftsmanship. The style and execution are consistent with funerary equipment from the Middle Kingdom period, specifically designed to contain mummified remains according to Egyptian mortuary practice.

funerary Middle Kingdom good
Deities Nephthys
Materials indurated limestonepaintlinen

Connections

Found at Meir
Deities Nephthys

Cross-references (4)

  • Wikidata-Q Q116252220 tier-1
  • Collection-QID Q160236 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
  • Inventory-Number 11.150.17e tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
  • MET-Object 543951 tier-2 (wikidata-mediated)
About this record's data
  • From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Metropolitan Museum of Art — Egyptian Art (Open Access).
  • AI-inferred — the image-analysis panel (deities, names, signs) is machine-generated and may be wrong.
  • Approximate location — most map points are plotted at the site centroid, not the exact findspot.
  • Inferred links — cross-references marked with a match method other than explicit-source-field were matched by us, not stated by the source.