16. Inner Lid

Museum inventory number: 8526 Length: 178cm; Width (max): 43cm Wood, plaster, paint and varnish. Decorated with multicoloured paintwork. The reverse side of the object is undecorated. The hands are carved in wood and attached to the lid. The earrings and the breasts are moulded in plaster. The painted decoration faded away around the mouth and on the chin. Sev- eral cracks are detected on the lower section and on the footboard, but the decoration is relatively well preserved.

Iconography

Headboard A multicoloured headband decorated with geometrical patterns and floral motifs adorns the tripartite wig (black). A bunch of lotus flowers hangs from the crown of the head (Fig. 170). The face is roughly carved and painted in yellow with the contour of the eyes and eyebrows traced in black. The pupils (black) are painted against a white background. A red line is traced above the eye to suggest the eye-lid. The lips are outlined in red. The decoration of the earrings has faded away. The lappets of the wig are adorned with binding bands displaying geomet- rical motifs bounded by block-friezes.

Upper Section The breasts feature rosettes to suggest the nipples (Fig. 170).The hands are open and crossed over the chest. The arms display red lines suggesting linen stripes. The forearms are crossed over the collar, displaying bracelets. Most of them are decorated with geometrical patterns (multicoloured) but four are composed of small udjat-eyes. The elbows are decorated with multicoloured lotus flow- ers. The area comprised between the lappets of the wig presents a short collar displaying six transversal bands decorated with floral and geometrical mo- tifs. The large floral collar displays five bands decorated with a fairly diversified sample of patterns: geometrical motifs (3rd, 5th band), mandrake flowers (4th

© koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2019 | doi:10.1163/9789004386501_024 section 1—coffin sets 277 band), persea-tree buds (2nd), lotus flowers intertwined with cornflowers and buds (1st). The clasps of the collar are falcon-headed (only partially depicted). On the chest, lies a pectoral featuring a winged scarab (black) holding up a solar disk. The pectoral hangs from a necklace hidden under the short collar.

Central Panel The central panel displays three registers (Figs. 171–172). The edges of the tableau are bordered by longitudinal inscriptions (Inscriptions 1–2) and trans- versal bands partially inscribed (Inscriptions 5–6). The first register shows a symmetrical composition with a pectoral at the centre featuring a winged scarab (black) holding up a solar disk flanked by udjat-eyes. The pectoral hangs from a necklace hidden under the large floral collar. These motifs are flanked by centrifugal blocks showing the enthroned mummiform Osiris protected by a winged djed-pillar. Osiris wears the hedjet- crown and grasps the royal scepters. The djed-pillar is adorned with the solar disk resting on ram’s horns. The composition is completed with centripetal blocks featuring a winged cobra wearing the dšrt-crown.The cobra hangs down from the upper corner of the tableau, outstretching its wings towards Osiris. The udjat-eye is depicted between its wings. Bunches of grapes and other offer- ings are piled up on a reed mat positioned at the feet of the enthroned god. The second register is bounded by a large pet-sign (blue). Below, figures a winged goddess squatted on a lotus flower, outstretching her wings towards the sides. She wears a tight beaded dress and the modium bearing the monogram of Neith. Over her arms figure winged coiled cobras. Udjat-eyes flank the head of the goddess. The third register features a very unusual composition with a large lotus flanked by centrifugal blocks featuring frogs spitting out a flow of water which is drunk by the ba-bird (centripetally oriented), who raises her hands to contain it. Piled offerings rest on reed mats behind the ba-bird.

Lower Section This section is arranged in three longitudinal partitions (Figs. 173–174). Each partition is divided by transversal bands partially inscribed (Inscriptions 5–14). Two longitudinal bands of text run down the edges from the elbows to the foot- board (Inscriptions 1–2). The central partition presents four registers featuring symmetrical centrip- etal compositions. Elaborate friezes with geometrical and floral motifs divide the registers. In the first register the Ta-wer-totem is crowned with the double-feathered solar headdress. This nuclear motif is flanked by winged cobras wearing hedjet-