Object Image

Gilded wax on a reconstructed body of ancient linen

A reconstructed body of ancient linen was created in the 1940s in order to display this mask and foot cover. Originally they belonged to a similarly shaped figure that was filled with grain, which is why such figures are called "corn mummies." They represent the god Osiris and, since the grain could sprout, they symbolized new life.

Credit: Gift of Mrs. Goddard DuBois, 1942 (42.6.1a, c), 1944 (44.6.2a–c)...

400-250 B.C.
Gilded wax on a reconstructed body of ancient linen
23.9in
44.6.2a-c
Image and text © Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2020

Where you'll find this

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Permanent collection