Face from a coffin
This face from a coffin is made of wood and paint still remains. The face has a slight soft smile. It dates from the New Kingdom Period’s 18th Dynasty (c.1300-1400 B.C.), and is currently under the ownership of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, in Vienna, Austria.
The mummies of the ancient Egyptian elite were placed into wooden coffins; in some cases, these coffins were further enclosed in outer coffins of wood or in stone sarcophagi.
Egyptian – Oriental Collection Inv. No. INV 917
As part of their preparations for afterlife some Egyptians purchased a sarcophagus, a coffin and possibly an inner coffin. Coffins were generally made of wood, metal, stone or pottery. Gold and silver was used on some coffins, but this was generally reserved for kings or royalty.
These elaborate coffins are or were vibrantly painted and decorated with depictions of gods and goddesses in various forms, scenes detailing the afterlife the deceased person hoped to obtain and physical attributes to indicate his or her status while they were alive.
Sarcophagi used to bury leaders and wealthy residents in ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece, a sarcophagus is a coffin or a container to hold a coffin. Most sarcophagi are made of stone and displayed above ground.
