Complete gilded Book of the Dead on display for the first time

One of the only complete and gilded copies of the Egyptian Book of the Dead has gone on public display for the first time at the Brooklyn Museum. There are only ten known gilded papyri of the Book of the Dead, and most of them are fragmentary. This one is by far the best condition gilded version in existence.

The new exhibition, Unrolling Eternity: The Brooklyn Books of the Dead, showcases the papyrus in the funerary gallery of the museum’s Egyptian wing. The gallery has been refreshed with new exhibits to illustrate ancient Egyptian funerary practices and beliefs, including the richly decorated coffin and mummy board of Pasebakhaienipet, mayor of Thebes, several mummified people and animals, wall reliefs from the tomb of the vizier Nespeqashuty, one of the earliest examples of the Book of the Dead (1500–1480 B.C.). A selection of smaller objects like gold amulets, reed pens and preparatory sketches.

The gilded Book of the Dead dates to the Ptolemaic period (305–30 B.C) and is 21 feet long. It contains almost all of the 162 known spells from the surviving examples of the Book of the Dead. They are written in hieratic (cursive hieroglyphics) and illustrated with ink scenes and figures accented with gold. The script and double borders around the columns and illustrations identify the book as an example of the Memphite style of Lower Egypt. Some of the vignettes show visible underdrawings and rare traces of yellow orpiment pigment. We know the manuscript is complete because it retains the blank opening and closing pages that are usually lost.

The papyrus was bought by a British doctor, Henry Abbott, in the 19th century. He was an avid collector of Egyptian artifacts and had amassed thousands of objects when he put them on display in the first exhibition of Egyptian art in New York City in 1853. The entire collection was transferred to the New York Historical Society after Doctor Abbott’s death and was then loaned to the Brooklyn Museum in 1937. The museum officially acquired it in 1948.

The papyrus was too fragile to be displayed. It had been mounted on acidic paper backing that was putting strain on the delicate fibers. Only six inches of the scroll were even visible. The rest was still rolled up and could not be unrolled without risking too much damage. The museum embarked on a comprehensive conservation of the document three years ago, and experts were finally able to open the papyrus scroll all the way. They discovered it belonged to one Ankhmerwer (“may the god Mnevis live”), son of Taneferher (“the one beautiful of face”).

This video from the Brooklyn Museum goes into detail about the complex conservation process and the discoveries the team made in their study of the manuscript.

* This article was originally published here