Coffin with mummy and canopy

By the end of the 19th century, Egypt had become a popular destination for travellers from Europe, which for decades had been enthralled with the so-called Orient. Ancient Egyptian objects, especially, were coveted as souvenirs. Taking advantage of this sustained interest, local artisans began producing objects in keeping with the travellers’ notions of ancient Egyptian culture. This small coffin, which ostensibly contained a mummy, is one such item. The wood structure that frames it is composed of the remains of a shrine from Ptolemaic times which originally belonged to a man from Akhmim by the name of Inaros. The individual parts are arranged such that some of the inscriptions are upside-down. An X-ray examination ultimately showed that the coffin did not contain the mummy of a child, but rather two adult thigh bones wrapped in old linen.