Canopic Jars of Lady𓎟𓏏 Senebtisi𓋴𓈖𓃀𓍘𓋴

Canopic Jars of Lady𓎟𓏏 Senebtisi𓋴𓈖𓃀𓍘𓋴
1938-1759 B.C.E. Dynasty 12

Canopic jars were used by the Ancient Egyptians𓂋𓐝𓎀𓀂𓀭𓏪 to separately preserve𓋴𓋴𓈖𓃀𓏛 the liver𓅓𓊃𓏏𓄹𓈓, stomach𓏠𓈖𓇥𓂋𓄹, lungs𓅱𓆑𓄿𓄹, and intestines𓅓𓄡𓏏𓅱𓄹𓏥,what they perceived as the four most vital organs. Lids atop represent the four𓏽 sons𓅭 of Horus𓅃, who would each be tasked with the safekeeping of an organ.

Imsety𓇋𓐝𓊃𓍘𓇋 "the kindly one", represented by a man𓋴𓀀, was responsible for the liver. Hapi𓎛𓐑𓊪𓇌 took the form of a baboon𓎡𓇌𓃷 and protected𓐩𓏌𓏛 the lungs. Duamutef𓂧𓍯𓇼𓅐𓏏𓆑"He who adores his mother" was represented by a jackal𓊃𓄿𓃀𓃥, and guarded the stomach. Qebehsenuef𓏁𓌢𓌢𓌢𓆑"He who refreshes his brothers" his animal form was a falcon𓃀𓇋𓎡𓅄, and took care of the intestines.

The use of these vessels𓎛𓆰𓈖𓏌𓅱𓏊 would span the entirety of Egyptian history with slight changes through the ages. Considered the most expensive method of mummification, their practice would decline during the Middle Kingdom.

Old kingdom lids would simply be flat.
New Kingdom examples such as these, use human heads to represent each God𓊹. New Kingdom lids would be crafted with their animal forms.

Inscriptions𓎘𓅱𓍼 on the vessels wouldn’t appear until the Middle Kingdom. Each jar would repeat the text “Honored𓇋𓄪𓏏 by …, who exists𓃹𓈖𓈖 in the presence of𓅓𓂸𓏤𓍿 the lady𓎟𓏏 of the house𓉐, Senebtisi𓋴𓈖𓃀𓍘𓋴, justified𓐙𓊤.” The name𓂋𓈖 of each god is written in place on each jar.

Senebtisi was found in her tomb𓇋𓇩𓊃𓉐𓏤 virtually undisturbed. Humidity would damage many of the artifacts made of wood, such as the box these limestone𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊌𓈖𓂝𓈖𓁼𓊌 jars sat in.

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