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Canopic Jar of the Overseer of the Builders of Amun, Amenhotep

A work made of ceramic and pigment.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of ceramic and pigment.

Date:

New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Amenhotep II (about 1427–1400 BCE)

Artist:

Egyptian

About this artwork

One of a set of four jars that belonged to Amenhotep, who oversaw architectural projects in the temple of Amun at Karnak (in present-day Luxor). Now empty, the jars once held Amenhotep’s liver, lungs, intestines, and stomach, which were removed during the mummification process. Each jar has a hand-sculpted stopper that may represent its owner or one of the four sons of Horus, a set of gods associated with these vital organs. An inscription in hieroglyphs on each container promises divine protection over its contents by a different goddess: Selket, Neith, Nephthys, or Isis.

Status

On View, Gallery 50

Department

Arts of Africa

Culture

Ancient Egyptian

Title

Canopic Jar of the Overseer of the Builders of Amun, Amenhotep

Place

Egypt (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1427 BCE–1400 BCE

Medium

Ceramic and pigment

Inscriptions

Words spoken by Isis: “I place my arms on that which is in me, I protect the Duamutef which is in me [of] the Overseer of the Builders of Amun, Amenhotep, revered by Duamutef.”

Dimensions

a (jar): 30.4 × 19 × 19 cm (12 × 7 1/5 × 7 1/5 in.) b (lid): 13.3 × 13.3 × 13.3 cm (5 1/4 × 5 1/4 × 5 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Henry H. Getty, Charles L. Hutchinson, and Norman W. Harris

Reference Number

1892.38a-b

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/120265/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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