An egyptian Puzzle
Restoring the coffin lid of But-har-chonsu
Over 120 years after it was discovered in a rock-cut tomb in the Theban necropolis in Upper Egypt, the lid of the outer sarcophagus of the priestess But-har-chonsu from around 1000 BC forms the centre of a small exhibition organized by the Near-Eastern and Ancient Egyptian Collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
In collaboration with the Institute of Conservation - Restoration at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna the coffin-lid was comprehensively resorted in 2011-2014. Following extensive analyses, previously wrongly assembled pieces in the construction of the lid were identified, removed and correctly re-assembled; countless previously “homeless” fragments were also identified and incorporated. The exhibition documents this fascinating procedure, and offers insights into the painstaking work of the conservators.
A small exhibition catalogue will be published in connection with the show; it focuses on the artefact, how and where it was found, and, especially, on its restoration.
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