Small lidded basket, from royal burial

Add to album

This basket is among the grave goods from the grave of a 17th Dynasty queen and her child at Qurneh in Egypt. It was found inside the queen's coffin, at the head of the mummy, and it contained an alabaster kohl pot. When found, its lid was tied on.

The basket has been made from a plant fibre, probably a kind of grass used for basketry. Coils of grass have been joined to form a bulbous basket with a conical lid. A design featuring diagonal lines and a ring around the lid has been created in black.

This grave, from the burial place of the kings and queens of Thebes, is remarkable as it dates from a time when Egypt was politically divided and relatively poor. The queen and her child have been lavishly equipped for the Afterlife.

Record details

To search on related items, click any underlined text below.

• Online ID: 000-180-000-285-C
• Image Rights Holder: National Museums Scotland
• Project: National Museums Scotland Part 2
  Project description   View all records in project
• Ref: National Museums Scotland  
• Date: Around 1641 to 1539 BC (2nd Intermediate Period: 17th Dynasty)
  
• Material:
• Dimensions:
• What:
• Subject:
• Who:
• Where:
• Event:
• Description:
• References:
  • Petrie, W.M. Flinders. Qurneh. London: School of Archaeology in Egypt, 1909. 
  • Sheridan, J A (ed). Heaven and Hell and Other Worlds of the Dead. Edinburgh: National Museum of Scotland, 2000. 
• Translations:
• Related Records: