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Walters Art Museum (Egyptian) · funerary_equipment

Mummification Bandage of Userwer

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

Description

<p>Linen bandages were used during the mummification process from the Late through the Ptolemaic period, ca. 6th-2nd centuries BCE. They were usually decorated with spells and sometimes vignettes from the "Book of the Dead" in order to deliver the desired magical protection for the deceased. The practice of placing inscribed bandages directly on the body of the dead person was essential to securing a good life for the deceased in the Netherworld.This small strip of fabric is woven of high-quality linen and belongs to the well-known object group of inscribed mummification bandages. The originally light beige linen is now discolored to a darker brown. Both side ends of the bandage are lost and irregularly torn off. The original length is unknown, but might have extended to ¾ of an Egyptian cubit (= 39.15 cm = 15 3/8 in.). The inscription is composed in hieratic script and rendered in black ink (made of soot mixed with gelatin, gum, and bee wax); the color has slightly faded. The text consists of three lines; the beginnings and ends of the sentences are missing; but the losses seem to be minor judging by content and grammar.</p><p>For the latest information about this object, <cite><a href='https://purl.thewalters.org/art/83.767' rel='external'>Mummification Bandage of Userwer</a></cite>, visit the Online Collection of the Walters Art Museum.</p>

Inscriptions (1)

Inscription #1

English description

[Translation] (1) (…who satisfies) the Two Gods, the count, chief, treasurer, unique friend, priest of Isis of Coptos, priest of Osiris, Min-Horus (…) (2) (…) May you grant the sweet breath to Wsir-wer of Netjeru-of-the-North, who satisfies the Two Gods, the count, chief, treasurer, (unique) friend (…)(3) (…May you grant the) sweet (breath) to Wsir-wer of Netjeru-of-the-North, who satisfies the Two Gods, the count, chief, treasurer, unique friend (…)

Cross-references (2)

  • Walters-AccNum 83.767 tier-2
  • Walters-id 79099 tier-2
About this record's data
  • From the source institution — accession, description, dimensions, and dating are as catalogued by Walters Art Museum (Egyptian).
  • 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.