Fitzwilliam Egyptian Room

The granite sarcophagus lid of King Ramessis 3rd is from Thebes, Valley Of The Kings, Egypt. The ruler appears in the form of the Egyptian god Sokar - Osiris, who protected the gateway to the afterlife. Ramesses is flanked by the goddesses Isis and Nephthys who are identified by their crowns which spell their names. Nephthys stands on a hieroglyph for gold which is used in the embalming process.There are two cobras and a third snake surrounding the outside edge of the lid whose mouth and tail meet at the top, offering a protective seal. The missing part of the lid was probably damaged when grave robbers tried to lever it off the tomb. I love to visit this wonderful museum, such a lot to see in there. Also they occasionally have lunchtime piano recitals by music students, which I sometimes attend.