Djehutynakht's Coffin: The Study of Its Symbolic Significance

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Djehutynakht's Coffin: The Study of Its Symbolic Significance
The given artifact is the outside covering of the coffin of Djehutynakht, the governor of Deir el-Bersha, which was a province of ancient Egypt that belonged to the Middle Kingdom. It was found in Deir el-Bersha and belonged to either the late 11th dynasty or early 12th dynasty and was supposed to be made between 2010 BC to 1961 BC (Museum of Fine Arts). This outer coffin is made of a large plank of precious cedar wood and decorated with paintings and delicate artwork and text on both inside and outside. Its area is 115 x 263 cm, and this piece of ancient funerary art is one of the manifestations of the funeral customs prevalent in the Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt. Its sacred text and drawings are a symbolic representation of the prayers made to facilitate Djehutynakht's safe journey towards eternal life and its peaceful life after death (Museum of Fine Arts).
Besides being a symbol of the traditional funerary practices of ancient Egypt, this outer coffin also holds cultural significance as it marks a slight break from the traditional coffin-making practice of the Middle Kingdom. The coffins made for the nobles and kings in the early Middle Kingdom were different from this coffin in that their outer coffins were plain, and inner coffins were decorated with paintings resembling those found on tomb walls (Museum of Fine Arts). However, Djehutynakht's coffin is different since it also has embellishment on the outside and inside. Moreover, the paintings found on the interior are very realistic and reflect not only the mastery of the artist but also the level of advancement that painting and other artistic activities had achieved in the society of the Middle Kingdom.
The representation of Djehutynakht receiving the offering of incense and the paintings of other offerings including a wine jar, sacred oils cattle and goose, and the funerary prayers inscribed on the hieroglyphs located above the painting of offerings are the manifestations of the type and nature of funerary rituals prevalent in this society. Besides, the list of funerary rituals and spells on the right side represent the nature and cultural significance of the funerary prayers made at the burial of a noble. Collectively, this artifact is a miniature manifestation of the burial culture and the rituals and ceremonies associated with it prevalent in the late Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt.
As far its symbolism and imagery are concerned since this artifact was a part of a coffin, its texture, drawings, and paintings explicitly symbolize death and life after death in several ways. First of all, the representation of the door on the coffin symbolizes the portal through which a mortal being has to pass to enter immortal life. This door is a physical manifestation of death itself since only death is the instrument through which the moral beings are transformed from this world to anothe...