Priestly Headdress

Roman Period

probably 1st century A.D.

Not on view

This is a unique example of a priestly headdress otherwise known only from tomb reliefs and paintings. Consisting of a wig with short, tight curls and a distinctive gilded sidelock, it may have been found (and once worn) with a leopard-skin robe. In all likelihood, a man serving as a sem-priest donned the headdress and cloak before carrying out a ritual that revivified a mummified body so that the deceased could live eternally.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Priestly Headdress
Period: Roman Period
Date: probably 1st century A.D.
Geography: From Egypt
Medium: Cartonnage, paint, gold leaf
Dimensions: Greatest diam 23 cm (9 1/16 in); greatest h. 23 cm (9 1/16in)
Credit Line: Gift of Edward S. Harkness, 1931
Object Number: 31.9.5
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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