Funerary mask of Hatnefer

New Kingdom
ca. 1492–1473 B.C.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 116
In 1936, the Museum's Egyptian Expedition discovered a rock-cut tomb on a hillside just below the offering chapel of Senenmut, one of Hatshepsut's best known officials. The tomb had been prepared for the burial of Senenmut's mother, Hatnefer, who had died in her 70s, early in the joint reign of Hatshepsut and Thutmose III. By this time, Senenmut had become an important official, and he could provide a comparatively rich burial for his mother, including this gilded mummy mask, an exquisite heart scarab, and a canopic box. She was also buried with several fine pieces of personal jewelry.

Hatnefer's small burial chamber also contained the reburial of her husband, Ramose, who had died years earlier in his mid-30s. In addition, there were two wooden coffins containing the unidentified mummies of three women and four children who were probably members of the same family. Some personal items and simple grave goods had also been placed in the coffins. It appears that Senenmut took the event of his mother's death as an opportunity to move other relatives from their original graves to Hatnefer's tomb where their spirits could benefit from the funerary gifts provided for her burial. These goods included chests of linen cloth, stone and pottery jars containing animal fat and vegetable oil, baskets of food, spoiled linen, and personal belongings.

Hatnefer's mummy mask was molded from cartonnage, a material similar to papier-mache, but made with layers of linen and gesso. The mask was then overlaid with gold foil. The eyes are inlaid with Egyptian alabaster and obsidian set in ebony sockets.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Funerary mask of Hatnefer
  • Period: New Kingdom
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 18, early
  • Reign: reign of Thutmose II–Early Joint reign
  • Date: ca. 1492–1473 B.C.
  • Geography: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, Tomb of Hatnefer and Ramose, Mummy of Hatnefer, MMA excavations, 1935–36
  • Medium: Cartonnage, gold, travertine (Egyptian alabaster), obsidian, ebony
  • Dimensions: H. 45.8 cm (18 1/16 in.); W. 44 cm (17 5/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1936
  • Object Number: 36.3.1
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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Cover Image for 3390. Funerary mask of Hatnefer

3390. Funerary mask of Hatnefer

Gallery 116

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Most of the objects in this case come from a single tomb. It belonged to a couple named Ramose and Hatnefer. They received this rich burial equipment from their son Senenmut, one of the most important officials who served the pharaoh Hatshepsut.

There was a great disparity between the burials of Senenmut’s father, Ramose and his mother, Hatnefer. Ramose’s coffin was very simple and his body was wrapped in linen and a reused shirt. In contrast, Hatnefer’s mummy was covered with the gilded mask you see here. Its eyes were carved of alabaster and obsidian set in ebony sockets. The fine green heart scarab, with the gold setting and exquisite chain, was placed on her chest and the rings were on her fingers. Her mummy was also wrapped in a shroud inscribed with texts from the Book of the Dead. From all this, archaeologists have concluded that Ramose died sometime before his wife, when the family was quite poor. When Hatnefer died, Senenmut was able to fit out her mummy in style and reburied his father in her tomb.

One of the most amazing things preserved from this burial is the basket in the left corner of the case. Look inside it. You’ll see loaves of bread, dates, and raisins that have been there for almost thirty-five hundred years! The large pottery jar nearby contains wine and has never been opened. The alabaster vessel behind it contains some type of ointment, which still remains in a semi-liquid state. A sample of this amber-colored liquid is in the small vial next to the jar.

Now walk around to the other side of the case where you’ll see enough linen to outfit an entire family. These pristine sheets were found neatly folded in the whitewashed chests. Note the differences in quality, from very coarse to extremely fine. The two folded sheets at the left are of the sheerest fabric, with more than one hundred threads per inch. They are about sixteen feet long and forty inches wide and each weighs no more than a quarter of a pound. Picking up one of these is like holding a cloud in your hands.

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