Collection
/
Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Ibis Mummy

30 B.C.E.–395 C.E.

1 of 2

Caption

Ibis Mummy, 30 B.C.E.–395 C.E.. Animal remains, linen, 4 1/4 × 2 3/4 × 12 in. (10.8 × 7 × 30.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Museum Collection, X1179.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, X1179.1_top_PS2.jpg)

Gallery

Not on view

Title

Ibis Mummy

Date

30 B.C.E.–395 C.E.

Period

Roman Period

Geography

Place made: Egypt

Medium

Animal remains, linen

Classification

Remains, Animal

Dimensions

4 1/4 × 2 3/4 × 12 in. (10.8 × 7 × 30.5 cm)

Credit Line

Brooklyn Museum Collection

Accession Number

X1179.1

Rights

Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

Frequent Art Questions

  • What are these?

    Those are animal mummies! The souls of these animals would have carried messages to the gods from the living.
    Animal mummies were a major industry in Ancient Egypt. There is some evidence that there were corrupt priests who would sell fake mummies! Some do not contain a full skeleton- only a feather or single bone -- or no animal remains at all!
    That’s interesting what type of animals would be mummified?
    A whole range of animals were mummified - both wild and tame. Each animal was thought to have a special relationship to a god. For instance, the ibis was associated with Thoth, the god of wisdom and writing.
    There are special animal cemeteries in the Saqqara desert that contains millions of these animal mummies! There are far more mummified animals than people.

  • What’s this

    That is an animal mummy! The ancient Egyptians would donate these to temples in hopes that the spirit of the animal would deliver a message or request to the gods on their behalf. The ibis in this bundle was associated with the god Thoth.

  • Tell me more.

    Animal mummies are some of the most numerous artifacts from ancient Egypt. Cemeteries associated with major temples were where millions of animals were buried.
    Animal mummies served an important religious function in ancient Egypt. People believed that the animals' souls could act as messengers and carry with them hopes and prayers to the gods quickly and effectively.

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