Embalmers' Dockets
Unknown Artist
ca. 1479–1458 B.C.
Medium
Linen, ink
Dimensions
L. 16.5 cm (6 1/2 in.); W. 9.5 cm (3 3/4 in.) Framed: 19.7 cm (7 3/4 in.); W. 12.1 cm (4 3/4 in.)
Classification
Linen Mark, embalmer's docket
Period
New Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
36.3.182
Art Historical Context
Step into the intriguing world of ancient Egyptian funerary practices with *Embalmers' Dockets*, a small yet revealing artifact from the New Kingdom's Dynasty 18 (ca. 1479–1458 B.C.). This delicate piece of linen, inscribed with ink in hieratic script, served as a practical label used by embalmers. Measuring just 16.5 cm by 9.5 cm, it likely recorded essential details such as the name of the deceased, the date of embalming, or the duration of the mummification process—vital administrative notes in a culture obsessed with eternal life. Crafted during a golden age of Egyptian art and empire und...