Fragments from a Book of the Dead
Unknown Artist
ca. 1390–1353 B.C.?
Medium
Papyrus, ink
Dimensions
mounted in 4 frames, each 28.2 x 38 cm (11 1/8 x 14 15/16 in.)
Classification
Papyrus, funerary, Book of the Dead
Period
New Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1928
Accession Number
28.3.299a–d-related
Tags
Art Historical Context
These delicate fragments from a *Book of the Dead*, dating to around 1390–1353 B.C. during Egypt's New Kingdom (Dynasty 18, possibly), offer a mesmerizing glimpse into ancient funerary practices. Crafted by an unknown scribe on papyrus with black and colored inks, the pieces are mounted in four, each measuring about 28 x 38 cm. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptian Art (acquired via the Rogers Fund in 8), they bear intricate hieroglyphs—Egypt's sacred pictorial script—that once formed part of a personalized guide for the afterlife. The *Book of the Dead* was no mere book but...