Shrine-shaped case for an animal mummy surmounted by a lizard

Unknown

664–30 B.C. · Cupreous metal · Egyptian Art

The lizard in later periods of Egyptian history was linked with the creator and solar god Atum, in large part because of their reptilian tendency to warm themselves in the sunshine. Almost all copper alloy representations show the lizards prone, with legs slightly splayed, as if basking in the sun’s rays. Most rest on top of boxes that would have held mummified lizards. Boxes like these generally open at the back end for the insertion of the mummy; on this shrine-shaped example, the bottom panel slides out, allowing for easier access. These boxes would have been offered in temples or for deposition in animal necropoleis, not just in honor of Atum, but also in broad connection with other animal representations linked to solar cult, such as shrew mice, ichneumons, or falcons.

Artist

Unknown

Date

664–30 B.C.

Medium

Cupreous metal

Department

Egyptian Art

Credit line

Gift of Darius Ogden Mills, 1904