Sarcophagus of Seti I

The sarcophagus of Seti I is a life-size sarcophagus of the 19th Dynasty Pharaoh that was discovered in 1817 by the Italian explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni in tomb KV17 in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt.[1] Seti I is believed to have died in 1279 BC and the sarcophagus would have housed his coffin and mummy.[2] It was bought by architect Sir John Soane in 1824 for £2000 (equivalent to £187,000 in 2021) after the British Museum turned it down citing Belzoni's steep price.[3] It is currently displayed in the crypt section, called Sepulchral Chamber, of Sir John Soane's Museum in London. Over 3000 years old, the sarcophagus is one of the oldest museum objects in the United Kingdom in public collection.[4]

Sarcophagus of Seti I
An 1834–35 engraving of the Sarcophagus of Seti I, on display at Sir John Soane's Museum
MaterialAlabaster with Egyptian blue infill
SizeLength 2.84 m
Width (head): 55.9cm
Width (feet): 81.3cm
Height (shoulders): 81.3cm
Height (lower part, feet): 68.6cm
Thickness (lower part, sides): 2.5cm, minimum; 10.2cm, maximum
WritingEgyptian hieroglyphs
Created1370 BC
Discovered1817
Present locationSir John Soane's Museum, London
RegistrationM470

Bibliography

  • Darley, Gillian (1999). John Soane: An Accidental Romantic. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-08165-7.

References

  1. Rothstein, Edward (October 23, 2014). "Obsessive Visions on Display". The New York Times.
  2. "Sir John Soane's museum recreates architect's vision of pharaoh's tomb". the Guardian. November 5, 2017.
  3. Darley 1999, p. 274
  4. "7 of the oldest objects you'll find in London museums". Evening Standard. August 14, 2018.
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