2.1 The Outer Coffin (Florence 8523) of Ankhefenkhonsu, from A.60—Reuse: 3

I did not identify a complete coffin set for this individual as Niwiński has in his catalogue (outer coffin, inner coffin, mummy-cover). The accession number of 8523 only applies to one outer coffin, as far as I can tell. The coffin seems made of local wood, likely acacia or sycamore, but no testing was done to determine species.

The coffin was certainly reused. There is evidence of decorative reuse and name reuse, suggesting a multiple reuse. The name Ankhefenkhonsu is written in red paint only, despite the surrounding polychrome inscription, a clear indication that the name was added at a later time (Fig. 157). The name is found on the coffin case’s left side at the foot end. It is also clear that craftsmen erased a previous inscription to add the name Ankhefenkhonsu. There are traces of a red line underneath the ankh-sign in the name, and there is evidence of an old Egyptian blue inscription in the infrared photographic examination. It is likely that there was polychrome text here before the name was inscribed in red—probably the name of the previous owner rubbed away in a reuse action.

The coffin was reused and reinscribed for Ankhefenkhonsu, and there may have been another one or two even older reuses, betrayed by 1) older polychromy underneath the current striped blue and white headdress at back of head on the lid and 2) older modeling at the forearms indicative of a 20th or early 21st Dynasty coffin, instead of the late 21st Dynasty coffin we see in the surface decoration. There are clearly two plastered polychrome layers visible. The later plaster layer is a thick mud plaster, and the earlier layer is a thin white layer. The thick mud plaster is visible on the case as well, suggesting that the decorative modifications of the coffin case go with the headcloth modifications as well.

The plaster at the head end of the lid shows an older plaster surface with red and yellow colours (paint and possibly varnish). There is definitely another polychrome layer underneath the striped blue and yellow headcloth (Fig. 293). Indeed, the orpiment of the headcloth has a very different florescence when compared to the orpiment of the usekh-collar, suggesting different times of execution, different workshops, and different pigment mixtures for the headcloth and usekh. Maybe the mud plaster of the case matches the mud plaster of the wig. The usekh-collar was applied onto a fine white plaster with huntite, which was applied over a thick mud plaster layer. Microscopic examination by Elsbeth Geldhof shows that the headcloth was painted over the usekh-collar, suggesting that the headcloth was changed for a later user while retaining the older collar. We were unable to ascertain definitively if the headcloth was painted over the varnish of the colour, but it seems likely.

Interestingly, there is a spot of damage on the wood on the lid at the back of the head, and decoration (stripes of the headcloth) was applied into the concavity, suggesting reuse of a piece that was roughly stripped down or damaged in transport. Overall, the plaster applied to the surface of the coffin is very thick, as one often sees on coffins with decorative reuse. The face is built up almost entirely of plaster, a modification ostensibly allowing the reuse of the coffin lid.

The coffin lid betrays earlier coffin modeling because it shows forearms and shoulders carved from the wooden surface, a feature of earlier coffins, but not later 21st Dynasty examples (Figs. 144–303). The fisted hands show holes, to hold sacred emblems, a feature more associated with earlier coffins as well (Fig. 145). The usekh-collar is quite long (20 cm under the fisted hands) and indicative of a later 21st Dynasty date for this decorative layer, going about 20 cm under the fists (Fig. 303). Given the modeled arms and given that the collar is the oldest known decorative layer on this coffin, it is likely that there was at least another older decorative layer before what is visible now. I would suggest that this coffin was constructed in the 20th Dynasty or early 21st Dynasty to be reused with new decoration in the late 21st Dynasty.

Furthermore, the lid ledges are flat and unfinished, while the case has a stepped ledge. This is clearly indicative of reuse, suggesting that lid and coffin were not made for one another originally and that the case is likely older than the wood in its construction.

There is a beard hole visible underneath the chin, fitting with the masculine fisted hands.

2.2 The Outer Coffin (Florence 8524) of an Anonymous Woman from A.15—Reuse: 3

This outer coffin shows multiple reuse in the form of decorative reuse, gender modification, and a blank space for the owner’s name.

The lid shows the gender modification from a masculine coffin to a female coffin quite clearly: Earrings and breasts were added in plaster (Fig. 13). The hands seem to have been changed as well, from masculine fisted hands to female flat hands. The beard hole was covered by plaster, now currently a raised area with the diameter of a peg hole underneath the chin. The area for the name on the lid’s feet is blank and varnished over, creating a possible “parish coffin” that could be reused multiple times for short-term owners who had their name inscribed over the varnish, to be easily wiped away after the funeral proceedings with a damp cloth (Fig. 17). The title and inscription were changed to match a female coffin (Wsi̓r mꜥꜣt ḫrw ḏd.s hꜣ mwt Nwt …).

The case sides were modified as well to show a woman in the two-dimensional offering scenes. She is wearing the same blue dress throughout, and no name of the deceased owner is visible (Fig. 294). The modifications for the gender change are also visible at the neck area where the usekh-collar was repainted. The application of paint is messier here, but the artisan tried to match the floral decoration of the existing collar. When the artisan changed the headdress and earrings and collar, he smoothed plaster over the surface of the hair and collar and thinly scraped it to the outer edges of the collar. Some of this plaster has cracked, and the decoration underneath is visible. The artisan tried to match the older floral decoration at the sides of the lid, so that he did not have to redo the entire surface. It is interesting the craftsmen would try to save and match older decoration, if possible, taking the time to match the old surface, instead of redecorating the whole thing. This technique is easiest to see on the lid’s right side, where the new plaster of the headdress was applied to cover the old usekh-collar.

The coffin was used at least once before the gender modification. At the back of head on the lid’s left side is painted plaster of an older striped headdress about 1 cm underneath the present painted plaster. These are likely the blue and white stripes of an earlier 21st Dynasty coffin, probably a man’s coffin.

2.3 The Anonymous Outer Coffin (Florence 8525) from A.56—Reuse: 3

This outer coffin lid shows decorative reuse (gender modification) and blank spaces for the name of the owner in multiple locations, including lid and lid side inscriptions; the title wꜥb n i̓mn sš n _____ is visible on the coffin feet and side inscriptions (Fig. 295). Niwiński mistakenly says this coffin is for an anonymous Chantress of Amun in his catalogue. The fact that the blanks were all varnished over suggests it could have been meant to serve as a communal coffin for the Theban priesthood. We were unable to do any infrared photography of these blanks because the coffin needed to remain on the museum storage shelf for conservation reasons.

The coffin lid’s gender modification was from a woman to a man. This is clearly visible at the back of the head where blue stripes of a masculine headdress were painted over and around the pre-existing female head garland. Elsbeth Geldhof established this with microscopic photography. Why they kept the head garland on a masculine coffin is not clear, but it was integrated with the striped headdress. There is no other evidence of a pre-existing female headdress except for the head garland, and we should suppose that it was chiseled away in preparation for the new masculine owner.

Masculine ears were added in plaster (a female coffin would have covered the ears with a blue headcloth), and a beard strap was added in blue over the varnish of the face. There are no remnants of breasts, suggesting that they removed them when they changed the hands. The decorative surface of the chest was completely updated for the man’s coffin, it seems.

Interestingly, the wig lappets betray a high curve in sections as would be seen on a 19th Dynasty coffin. No Carbon-14 dating was performed, but it would be the ideal way to test the theory that this 21st Dynasty coffin was originally a 19th Dynasty coffin.

2.4 The Anonymous Inner Coffin (Florence 8526) from A.60—Reuse: 3

This inner coffin is clearly reused. First, the lid and case do not fit; the lid is too wide on the coffin’s left side. The outline of the head does not fit, especially on the left side; there is also a huge gap near the feet, with a 4 cm overlap here, too much for even the worst of wood warping (Fig. 296). It is likely that the lid and case belonged to two separate coffins originally and that they were brought together opportunistically during a previous reuse. Second, there are markers of a Ramesside coffin. The case may be 19th or 20th Dynasty in its original construction and decoration as it shows an earlier style of decoration and betrays at least two hieroglyphic hands (ostensibly the second added during a reuse event). Third, there are remnants of a gender modification. The coffin lid shows a female, but the coffin has added earrings and breasts, and a modified wig. Third, there is evidence of name reuse. This is probably a triple reuse, at the least. The wꜥb n i̓mn title mentioned by Niwiński in his catalogue was not visible to me during my examination.

The coffin case is almost certainly Ramesside in style with a figure of Thoth at the head end. The interior of the case has a dark red background and a large figure of a goddess of the West, another marker of an earlier 21st Dynasty coffin. The case shows an inscription for a nbt pr šmꜥyt n i̓mn ꜣḫ-pw(?). The lid likely belonged to another, older coffin, and there are remnants of older style of decoration on the lid below the lappets: a Nut figure and a winged khepri that have been retained and around which new, updated decoration was added.

2.5 The Inner Coffin (Florence 8527) and Mummy-Cover (Florence 9530) of Khonsumes from A.22—Reuse: 3

This coffin set shows reuse as a set and as individual pieces, including decorative reuse, name reuse, gender modification, and markers of the Ramesside Period. The coffin set was decorated for a man, but quickly redecorated for a woman by just adding earrings and changing the hands, but not redecorating the striped masculine headdress. The hands on the coffin have been lost, but the modification is still visible in the painted plaster substrate where they have fallen away because the outlines of the decoration match fisted male hands rather than flat female hands (Fig. 297). The oblique angle of the added flat female hands was similar on both inner coffin and mummy-cover. The wings of a heart scarab are positioned under the hand addition. Indeed, it seems that the added female hands were placed at an oblique angle to keep as much of the original decoration as possible.

Interestingly, the artisans retained the striped masculine headdress, believing added earrings and flat hands to be enough for the modification. No changes were made to the carving or paint of the face plate. No breasts were ever added to coffin or mummy-cover. The coffin also retains the masculine name and title, despite the gender modification to female, on the lid’s side inscriptions. The title and name of the masculine owner is preserved on the coffin lid’s left side, along a text column near the feet: sš n pr i̓mn nswt nṯrw ḫnsw(-ms). Although the coffin was redecorated for a woman, I can’t identify her name having been added anywhere. The two-dimensional depictions of the male deceased were also not changed on the lid or case sides.

The modeled arms on the coffin suggest a Ramesside or early 21st Dynasty construction for the inner coffin, suggesting at least two reuses of this coffin. The wood is probably local, joined together from small pieces of what is likely acacia or sycamore fig.

The mummy-cover shows that a new feminine title of nbt pr was added in a different, lower quality, hand. This is the only place that a new title was added to the entire set, suggesting perhaps that there was more funerary ritual focus on the mummy-cover at this time period. The flat hands were attached obliquely by the reusing artisans (Fig. 298), a similar feature to the inner coffin (although the hands have fallen away from the inner coffin). Earrings are painted over the striped headcloth of the mummy-cover, just like the coffin. It seems clear that the coffin and mummy-cover were decorated to match one another, ostensibly for a man named Khonsumes, and that they were then reused together for a woman and bear similar features of that reuse, including oblique hand placement to save decoration on the chest.

2.6 The Inner Coffin (Florence 8528) and Mummy-Cover (Florence 9534) from A.15—Reuse: 2

This inner coffin and mummy-cover are almost certainly reused, showing probable decorative reuse in the form of gender modification, plus blank spaces for a name with a generic female title (Fig. 299). The inner coffin also shows a beard hole despite the fact that it is a woman’s coffin. The checkered wig and earrings were possibly added later. The lower legs may have been updated, but this needs further examination. Indeed, the coffin lid betrays two levels of quality in the draftsmanship: the long collar is carefully and expertly applied, but the lower body’s painted decoration is crudely applied. It seems certain that the collar and the lower legs were painted by two different craftsmen, perhaps at two different times in the coffin’s use. The legs of the coffin lid have a very thick layer of plaster, perhaps modifying older and outdated coffin modeling, again an uncorroborated detail.

The title of the coffin owner is inscribed as nbt pr smꜥyt n i̓mn nswt nṯrw _____, with a blank for the name. The title and blank appear in many places. This varnished blank would have provided the perfect surface for a coffin reused time and time again.

The mummy-cover with accession number 9534 is not in Niwiński’s catalogue, but it belongs to the same coffin as 8528. It betrays the same differing quality levels of draftsmanship between collar (high quality) and lower legs (low quality). The same high plaster relief seems to have been added to the lower part of the mummy-cover, but like the coffin lid, it has not been substantiated that this lower leg decoration was changed in a reuse event. It is also possible, though not definitive, that a beard hole was covered over with plaster, as on the inner coffin. Like the inner coffin, the mummy-cover may have the addition of a new wig, breasts, and earrings.

Both coffin and mummy-cover seem to have a modern varnish, resulting in a very shiny surface, but this has not been corroborated in material science studies. The usekh-collar is really nicely done with detailed, fine painting work, but the lower part of the lid seems coarse and with lots of plaster. I suspect they plastered over the lower part of the coffin and repainted it. There is a great deal of high plaster relief on the lower lid, but not carefully done.