Cartonnage of Nespanetjerenpare
This piece was of a mummy’s coffin. My first impression of the coffin was that it was very intricate. The coffin was covered in tiny hieroglyphics. The hieroglyphics showed images of birds, knives, and bowls. Aside from the head
of the main figure, there were also images of people all over the coffin. It is not hard to tell that someone spent a lot of time and efforton this particular piece. Hints of orange stood out from the white-brown background.
My second impression of the piece was pure fascination. I got to thinking about what the purpose of a coffin actually was back then. Not only were coffins used to preserve the dead bodies but they were also used to show wealth and power. It was fascinating for me to see how people put so much effort into how they present themselves even after their life is over. King Nespanetjerenpare made it clear that he wanted it to be known that he was a prestigious, well-respected person of his time period. But it was interesting to me because no matter how lavish someones lifestyle was, their body still ends up in the same place. The corpse could be covered in a beautiful coffin buried in the Egyptian pyramids but at the end of the day it’s still just a corpse. Theres nothing special about it. Life hasn’t changed hundreds of years later. Some people still demand this kind of attention and power. Despite the time difference, certain people still demand to be seen as powerful and almighty, similar to the kings in the coffins.
