UPPER PART OF SARCOPHAGUS III Intermediate Period, Dynasty XXI-XXIV, 1085-712 BC Upper part of a sarcophagus made of polychrome stuccoed wood. Funeral mask painted in reddish brown detailed and finely sculpted, the face perfectly outlined, serene and smiling, has regular features; the eye contour underlined by the bistro is colored in black, the eyes with pupil rendered in black, the nose is straight and the nostrils hollowed out, the mouth posed in an enigmatic smile. The deceased, high-ranking character, probably a woman, wears a long wig richly adorned, with plumage on the sides, held on the forehead by a yellow band decorated with circular pendants in red and blue, in the center a beetle that holds between the front legs the solar disk, all around a complex net of white and blue beads embellishes the headdress. The two bands of the wig descend on the chest, the whole upper part, from the chest to the belly, is occupied by the usekh collar with many rounds of beads decorated in blue, white and reddish. The deceased is depicted as a mummiform like Osiris. Siliceous incrustations, cracks, color losses. Find of great value and quality. Former ancient French collection. In ancient Egypt the use of the sarcophagus dates back to the earliest dynasties. It was intended to keep the deceased's mummified body intact, but it also had a symbolic meaning in that the premises of survival were implemented, the purpose of the whole funeral ritual. It was called "the lord of life" and the case represented the earth while the lid was the sky. Communication to the Archaeological Superintendence of Rome Cod. 51/2016 UPPER PART OF A SARCOPHAGUS Third Intermediate Period, XXI-XXIV Dynasty, 1070-712 BC Sizeable upper part of a wooden sarcophagus, the owner, probably a woman, with facial features modeled in relief , the eyes and brows detailed in black, the mouth smiling in an enigmatic attitude, is depicted wearing a headdress painted in blue, a diadem with solar disc and a scarab embracing the top of the head. The body is decorated with several lines in blue, with and brown forming a large Usek collar. Anthropoid coffins, were believed to be the idealized substitute for the deceased should something happen to the body. The face on the coffin was essential, even though it was seldom a true portrait of the deceased and more often representational. The tomb was the deceased's eternal house, and the coffin an enclosure to safeguard his earthly remains, or spirit. In this setting, life would be insured in the afterworld in the same way as on earth. To the ancient Egyptians there was no difference between the coffin's function and its religious importance; they were intertwined. A wooden coffin, with its painted, symbolic, sacred decorations and scenes, was paramount to the devout. Cod. 176/2002 1085-711 BC Height 54, Width 46 cm