Egyptian Canopic Jars Photos

In the ancient Egyptian mummification process, organs had to be removed to prevent rot, but had to be kept for eventual rejoining in the afterlife. Thus, four canopic jars were created for the function. Jars represented the 4 sons of Horus & 4 points of the compass.
  • North: baboon-headed god Hapi for lungs
  • East: jackal-headed god Duamutef for stomach
  • South: human-headed god Imsety for liver
  • West: falcon-headed god Qebehsenuef for intestines
    In rare cases the box which held the jars still exists.

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    Four painted wooden dummy Canopic jars at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Four calcite Canopic jars from Saqqara at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Egyptian canopic jars at Memorial Art Gallery. Rochester, NY.Egyptian alabaster canopic jars at San Antonio Museum of Art. San Antonio, TX.
    Four painted wooden dummy Canopic jars (too small for actual organs) (25th Dynasty - c700 BCE) at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Four calcite Canopic jars (26th Dynasty - c570-525 BCE) from Saqqara at British Museum. London, United Kingdom.Egyptian canopic jars (late period 664-332 BCE) at Memorial Art Gallery. Rochester, NY.Egyptian alabaster canopic jars (c1069-664 BCE, Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 21-25) at San Antonio Museum of Art. San Antonio, TX.
    Egyptian canopic jars from Abydos contained mummified organs at Yale Peabody Museum. New Haven, CT.Four lids from canopic jars of limestone at Museum Ägyptischer Kunst. Munich, Germany.Egyptian stone baboon-shaped canopic jar at Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna, Austria.Calcite canopic jar for scribe of royal treasury at Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. San Jose, CA.
    Egyptian canopic jars (c Dynasty 25-30; 760-341 BCE) from Abydos contained mummified organs at Yale Peabody Museum. New Haven, CT.Four lids from canopic (viscera) jars of limestone (12th Dynasty - c1850 BCE) at Museum Ägyptischer Kunst. Munich, Germany.Egyptian stone baboon-shaped canopic jar (22nd-25th Dynasty / 10th-7thC BCE) at Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna, Austria.Calcite canopic jar for scribe of royal treasury (Dynasty 19 - c1292-1189 BCE) at Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum. San Jose, CA.
    Egyptian canopic chest from Saqqara at Brooklyn Museum. Brooklyn, NY.Collection of ancient Egyptian mummies at Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna, Austria.

    Egyptian canopic chest (c380-30 BCE / Ptolemaic Dynasty) from Saqqara at Brooklyn Museum. Brooklyn, NY.Collection of ancient Egyptian mummies at Kunsthistorisches Museum. Vienna, Austria.

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    All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Jim Steinhart.
    All rights reserved. Permission required to use.

    CMP