Rishi coffin
Rishi coffins are a type of coffin that originated in Ancient Egypt and used prominently during the 17th Dynasty of Egypt. The word "rishi" is derived from the Arabic word risha (ريشة) that means "feather." A distinctive feature of Rishi coffins are the designs on them, which involve illustrations of feathers, hence the name.[1]
History
The first evidence of the existence of the Rishi coffin dates back to the 13th Dynasty, when such a coffin was discovered in an 1860 excavation of the tomb of a "great scribe" named Neferhotep.[2] Rishi coffins became prominently used during the rule of the 17th Dynasty, with rulers such as Intef VII, Seqenenre Tao and Kamose all interred in such types of coffins.[3][4]
Rishi coffins generally fell out of use during the rule of the 18th Dynasty.[5] However, one example of a Rishi coffin during this period of time has been discovered, that being the coffin found in KV55.[6] This coffin belongs to the father of Tutankhamun and a son of Amenhotep III, although it has been disputed whether the coffin belongs to Akhenaten. The coffin, although well preserved, has its face damaged and the name of the king deliberately scratched off.[7]
Description
A typical Rishi coffin is a large coffin made of wood that has an anthropoid shape, similar to the early forms of anthropoid coffins that originated in the early years of the Middle Kingdom.[3][4][5] On the exterior of the coffin, illustrations of individual feathers formed huge wings that cover the body from the shoulder to the feet, while the head is that of a human wearing a nemes headdress.[3][4][5] The aim of the design is to depict the deceased in the form of a pure human soul, which the ancient Egyptians depicted as a human-headed bird.[5] Later Rishi coffins like the one in KV55 also sported hands, sometimes in order to hold the royal scepters (crook and flail).
Unlike earlier forms of anthropoid coffins, Rishi coffins are independently designed and can stand on their own without the need for an external sarcophagus.[6]
See also
References
- ↑ Miniaci, Gianluca (2011-12-31). Rishi Coffins and the Funerary Culture of Second Intermediate Period Egypt. Golden House Publications. ISBN 1906137242. (online)
- ↑ Quirke, Stephen (2008). "Mariette at Dra Abu el-Naga and the tomb of Neferhotep: a mid-13th dynasty rishi coffin". Egitto e Vicino Oriente (31): 1–25.
- 1 2 3 Cooney, Kathlyn M. (2025-05-22). "Surviving New Kingdom Kings' Coffins: Restoring the Art That Was". Arts. 14 (3): 57. doi:10.3390/arts14030057. ISSN 2076-0752.
- 1 2 3 MacLeod, C.A. (2017). "Transformations in the Materiality of Death: Rishi Coffins and the Second Intermediate Period". Proceedings Second Vatican Coffins Conference [Proceedings of the Second Vatican Coffins Conference] (in Italian). Vol. 1. Italy: Edizioni Musei Vaticani. pp. 25–36. ISBN 9788882715168.
- 1 2 3 4 Hayes, W.C. (1990). Scepter of Egypt II: A Background for the Study of the Egyptian Antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Hyksos Period and the New Kingdom (1675-1080 B.C.) (Revised ed.). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 25–35. ISBN 9780870995804.
- 1 2 Dodson, Aidan (2015). Ancient Egyptian Coffins: the Medelhavsmuseet Collection. pp. 4–5.
- ↑ Aldred, Cyril (1968). Akhenaten, Pharaoh of Egypt; a new study. Switzerland: Thames and Hudson Ltd.
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