Sarcophagus lid of the Vizier Sasobek

Black siltstone base and lid of the anthropoid sarcophagus of Sasobek, northern vizier of Egypt during the reign of Psamtik I: the lid is finely carved, showing the deceased wearing wig, beard and collar and with two vertical registers of hieroglyphic offering texts, surmounted by a figure of Nut. “It may have been found in Sais, the city from which Psamtik’s family came.

The sarcophagus is one of the finest examples of its type, and very well preserved. While many anthropoid (human-shaped) sarcophagi have rather exaggerated features, Sasobek’s face is naturalistic (although not a portrait) and serene. Sasobek holds the djed pillar representing the god Osiris in one hand and the tyet knot of the goddess Isis in the other.

Stone sarcophagi were first used in Egypt for burying the dead at the beginning of the Old Kingdom (about 2613 BC). The first examples of containers for the body that echoed the human form are from the Middle Kingdom (about 2040-1750 BC), but made of wood only. The first stone anthropoid sarcophagi were made in the New Kingdom (about 1550-1070 BC), although generally only for people of the highest rank, including kings.”

— M. L. Buhl, ‘The late Egyptian anthropoid stone sarcophagi’ (København, 1959)

— The British Museum book of ancient Egypt, by Stephen Quirke, Jeffrey Spencer

Late Period, 26th Dynasty, ca. 664-610 BC. Now in the British Museum, EA17