Harvard Art Museums > 2003.100.40: Lid for a canopic jar in the shape of a human head Sculpture Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Lid for a canopic jar in the shape of a human head , 2003.100.40,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Apr 25, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/92353. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2003.100.40 Title Lid for a canopic jar in the shape of a human head Classification Sculpture Work Type head, sculpture Date c. 320 BCE - 200 CE Places Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Africa, Egypt (Ancient) Period Ptolemaic period to Roman Imperial Culture Egyptian Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/92353 Physical Descriptions Medium Limestone Technique Carved Dimensions 8.5 x 11.5 cm (3 3/8 x 4 1/2 in.) 8 cm (3 1/8 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History Ex collection Professor Mason Hammond, Pope Professor of Latin Language and Literature, Departments of the Classics and of History, Harvard University Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of the daughters of Florence and Mason Hammond Accession Year 2003 Object Number 2003.100.40 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Ptolemaic or later. Surface of head is dirty grey. Raised circular projection on bottom with concave interior intended to fit into the mouth of the Canopic jar itself. Clean shaven human head, broad nose and slightly smiling lips. The head wears a featureless wig that covers the ears. There are abundant traces of incisions from carving tools. Commentary Many Egyptian burials included canopic jars, which held the mummified organs of the deceased person. The jars were made in sets of four, to contain four specific parts of the body: the stomach, intestines, liver, and lungs. The lids of these jars were often made in the shapes of the heads of four gods known as the Four Sons of Horus, each of whom protected one of the organs. The human-headed god Imsety protects the liver; the jackal-headed god Duamutef protects the stomach; the baboon-headed god Hapy protects the lungs; and the falcon-headed god Qebehsenuef protects the intestines. Related Works 1920.44.299.A-B Canopic Jar of Pafhernetjer with Lid in Shape of a Baboon Head Vessels Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
