Research Attributes Australian Museum's Yellow Coffin to Akhmim Workshop
A yellow coffin at the Australian Museum, donated in 1912 by Robert Lucas-Tooth and originally thought to be from Thebes, has been attributed to a 21st Dynasty workshop in Akhmim through new research. Dr. Kea Johnston's analysis compared the coffin's artistic details to provenanced examples, identifying it as the work of a specific artist/scribe group. The study highlights the distinct regional style of Akhmim workshops, which developed creative variations on traditional funerary iconography. This work helps contextualize coffins lacking clear provenance and underscores the artistic independence of regional centers during Egypt's late pharaonic period.
Key facts
- A mummy in a yellow coffin was gifted to the Australian Museum in 1912 by Robert Lucas-Tooth.
- Radiocarbon dating suggests the mummy dates to the 22nd Dynasty, though the coffin style was initially linked to the 26th Dynasty.
- Analysis indicates the mummy is likely a middle-aged woman with arthritis and dental issues, whose organs were removed and replaced with inorganic material.
- Dr. Kea Johnston's research attributes the coffin to a specific workshop in Akhmim, active during the 21st Dynasty, based on stylistic and textual comparisons.
- Akhmim workshops developed independent artistic traditions, with creative departures in iconography, distinct from Theban models.
Entities
Institutions
- Australian Museum
Locations
- Akhmim
- Thebes
- Egypt