Coffin of Isis-Weret, Sistrum Player of the God Min

The terms “sarcophagus” and “coffin” are often used indiscriminately. However, the two objects are differentiated by their materials: sarcophagi are made of stone and coffins of wood or clay. Moreover, the background colour of coffins – black, white, or yellow – varied over time. Coffins with yellow backgrounds are typical of the Late Period. Hands were no longer depicted and necklaces predominated in their decoration. In addition to the illustrations intended to facilitate the journey into the afterlife, the decoration included hieroglyphic inscriptions providing information about the deceased. In this case, the inscriptions reveal that her name was Isis-Weret, that her father, Nebmose, was a priest in the temple of Min, and that her mother, Muthotep, was a sistrum player, just like her daughter.