Ibis-Form Snake Mummies
Description
Object Label: These four animal mummies are in ibis-related shapes but different wrapping styles. The CT scans and X-rays shown here reveal that two of these mummies are indeed ibises, as expected, but that of the two others, one contains snakes and the other contains shrews. Scientific examination has revolutionized scholars’ understanding of the most basic data available in analyzing animal mummies. Catalogue description: Culture Egyptian Caption: Egyptian. Ibis-Form Snake Mummies, 380–160 B.C.E.. Animal remains (Egyptian house snake, Psammophis sp.), linen, 4 1/2 × 2 1/2 × 12 5/8 in. (11.4 × 6.4 × 32.1 cm) mount (display dims on support board): 5 × 8 × 17 in. (12.7 × 20.3 × 43.2 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, X1183.2. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
AI image analysis GPT-4o-2024-08-06
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 small, wrapped bundle likely representing an ancient Egyptian mummified animal.
The artifact is a carefully wrapped bundle, consistent with the mummification style used for small animals in ancient Egypt. The linen wrappings are methodically applied, showing the skill and care involved in the process. There are no visible decorations or inscriptions on the wrappings.
Cross-references (2)
- BKM-Accession X1183.2 tier-2
- BKM-Object 186388 tier-2
About this record's data
- From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Brooklyn Museum — Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art.
- 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.