The Besenmut Family Once Again: The Anthropoid Coffin of Nespasefy III and That of his Wife Irtyru in the Stibbert Museum,Florence

Abstract

This paper presents an in-depth examination of two coffins: an anthropoid wooden coffin belonging to Nespasefy III, a priest of Montu, and another coffin belonging to his wife, Irtyru. Both coffins are currently on display at the Stibbert Museum in Florence. Nespasefy III, son of the priest of Montu Besenmut III and Hebenesamun I, is noted for his well-known Book of the Dead. However, his richly decorated and extensively inscribed coffin has not been comprehensively studied. This study aims to analyse the iconography and the funerary and religious texts adorning both coffins. Special emphasis is placed on the innovative arrangement of funerary deities on Nespasefy III’s coffin lid, his rare religious titles, and their connections to specific Theban cults. Additionally, the paper includes a comparative analysis with other coffins from the same family and individuals from the same period (25^th–26^th Dynasties), highlighting similarities and differences in funerary practices and iconographic elements.

Keywords

Priests of Montu Karnak Besenmut’s family anthropoid wooden coffins Stibbert Museum

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