Ancient Egyptian Furniture: Volume II - Boxes, Chests and Footstools

By Geoffrey Killen

In this revised second edition Dr Killen continues his survey of Egyptian furniture-making techniques with a study of boxes, chests and footstools and traces their evolution from the earliest times. Wooden, papyrus and alabaster boxes and chests were used to hold, protect and store valuable objects, toilet utensils, instruments, tools, garments, curtains, game pieces and papyri amongst other things. Those from the Old Kingdom usually had flat lids and solid board sides, tied together at the corners. During later periods carcase construction became so sophisticated, with the introduction of frame and panel work, that it was possible to construct barrel, shrine and pent-shaped lids. Later chests were elaborately painted, some with funerary scenes, painted with hieroglyphs or had gilt fretwork decoration applied to the sides and lid. This book is copiously illustrated with drawings and photographs and contains a catalogue of additional known pieces of Egyptian furniture preserved in museum collections.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Oxbow Books
• Release date: Mar 31, 2017
• ISBN: 9781785704864

Geoffrey Killen

Geoffrey Killen is a leading ancient furniture historian, technologist and Egyptologist who studied Design and Technology at Shoreditch College, University of London and the University of Liverpool, where he specialised in Ramesside woodworking. He has studied the collections of Egyptian furniture at most of the major museums including the Egyptian Antiquities Museum, Cairo and is the author of several major books and numerous papers. He has also led in the field of experimental archaeology where making and using replica woodworking tools and equipment has generated and tested archaeological hypotheses. His practical work is now displayed together with those original artefacts in several British museums.

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Chapter 1

The Earliest Examples

Predynastic

The working of timber into boxes and frames is clearly seen from as early as the predynastic period. In the cemetery at Nag el-Deir which is 30 kilometres north of Abydos and on the east bank of the Nile were discovered some of the best preserved box burials from this period. The site was excavated between 1901-1904 by the Hearst Egyptian Excavation under the direction of the University of California. These burial boxes were large and the construction techniques varied greatly as did the quality of timber used.

One burial box discovered in grave N 7454 was found largely intact, it measured 1570 mm in length and 710 mm in width. It was excavated from a depth that would suggest that it was approximately 180 mm in height. It was constructed of planks of wood which had been lapped jointed together (Lythgoe 1965: 280, figs.124 d and f). The method of fastening the corners were indefinable and unlike some other boxes it did not have corner supports or pillars. However, a similar box in grave N 7292 had the corner joints secured with a single cord which passed through a hole bored at an angle through both elements. Such boxes had no top or bottom and were used to support the walls of the grave. A mat of small branches and twigs was placed under the burial and another on top of the box.

A further burial box from grave N 7531, which again was constructed of wooden boards was butt jointed together having its corners lashed to upright pillars with cord (Lythgoe1965: 345, figs. 155 a-d, 154 d). The remains of another box or frame which was of very poor condition had one corner mitred together (Lythgoe 1965: 205, fig. 90 a and d).

Early Dynastic Period

We are able to examine early dynastic furniture and particularly the development of box construction from the material discovered at Saqqara, Abydos, Naqada and Hierakonpolis.

The site at Naqada had been extensively excavated by W.M.F. Petrie in 1895 where he was able to show the existence of two predynastic cultures. The discovery by J. de Morgan in 1897 of a brick built mastaba tomb which could be accurately dated to the reign of Aha, also proved this site’s early dynastic importance. The size of this structure indicated that it was probably the burial place of an important local official. The central five magazines of this tomb contained a large collection of funerary material which included several important items of fragmented furniture. Around these central magazines were grouped sixteen smaller rooms that had been filled with sand and gravel.

B

OX

F

RAGMENTS

(F

IGURE

1)

Naqada. 1st Dynasty.

Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 31793 a–e.

a. Length 80 mm, width 60 mm, thickness 11 mm.

b. Length 70 mm, width 70 mm, thickness 11 mm.

c. Length 55 mm, width 45 mm, thickness 11 mm.

d. Length 70 mm, width 25 mm, thickness 11 mm.

e. Length 70 mm, width 60 mm, thickness 11 mm.

De Morgan 1897: 191, figs. 693, 694, 695; Quibell 1905: Vol I. 209, Vol II. pl. 42.

De Morgan found in this Naqada mastaba a number of interesting fragments which would have made an ivory box. Across the broad faces of each piece was a red stained band. Some of the exposed edges were also coloured red. Through the centre of each stained band were bored angled holes each of which exit either along an adjoining edge or on the opposite face. Obviously this technique was used to join the framework together with ties of leather. This method of construction was confirmed later by the discovery of the first intact boxes by Walter Emery at Saqqara.

Figure 1. Box fragments. (Naqada, 1st Dynasty). Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 31793 a–e.

Saqqara

Emery began excavating the 1st Dynasty tombs at Saqqara in 1935 to complete the work begun by Firth. The result of Emery’s excavations again presents us with some of the earliest and most important material of the early dynastic period. These tombs were probably built for high ranking officials who worked in the ancient city of Memphis.

The site lies north east of the step pyramid of Djoser along the edge of a plateau. In tomb S 3471, which is dated to the reign of Djer by jar seals found in the tomb, was discovered a large collection of wooden furniture. Much of the material was in poor condition as the tomb had been very badly damaged by fire. This act of vandalism most probably occurred during ancient times after the tomb had been plundered. The cache of material only survived because the burning wooden roof, across the inner deeper magazine, fell on to the contents of the tomb with rubble from the upper walls and thus extinguished the