Skip to Content
Today Open today 11–8

Canopic Jar of Amenhotep

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

Image actions

  • A work made of ceramic and pigment.

Date:

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

Artist:

Egyptian; Tomb A7, Dra Abu el-Naga, Thebes (now Luxor), Egypt

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

Dimensions

a (jar): 30.7 × 18.4 × 18.4 cm (12 1/8 × 7 1/4 × 7 1/4 in.) b (lid): 12.7 × 12.7 × 13.3 cm (5 × 5 × 5 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

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

Reference Number

1892.39a-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.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/120266/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.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share