Cartonage of Khonsu-maa-kheru

The mummy of Khonsu-maa-kheru was given to the museum in 1903 by the Hamburg diplomat Martin Rücker Jenisch. He had acquired it, completely packaged in cardboard, on the Egyptian art market. Khonsu-maa-kheru, who lived around 900 BC, was about 40 years old at the time of his death. In accordance with the ancient Egyptian belief in the afterlife, his body was mummified. Like his father before him, he had been a wab priest at the temple of Amun in Karnak, where he was responsible for the purification rites before the daily acts of worship. The face of the richly decorated mummy cover is bordered by a striated wig. A collar with a falcon amulet is depicted on the chest. Represented below it, in pairs, are the four ancient Egyptian Canopic gods with whom the respective organs are associated in the embalming of the dead. Because only a completely preserved body could achieve eternal life, the organs were attributed special significance in the funerary cult. The mummy was additionally appointed with four mummy bandages bearing inscriptions, two leather straps crossing over the chest, two leather pendants, and two papyri.