Goddess Seshat and Ancient Public History: She Who Presides Over Words, Wisdom, and Historical Records

This is a fragment of an Egyptian material known as Cartonnage. The headdress on the goddess has five points rather than seven but it is believed to be Seshat.It is believed to date back to 1075-712 B.C.E. in the
Dynasty 21 to 22.

This fragment is from a funerary item. Seshat's blessings would be asked for on behalf of the deceased. It was believed she could give the person who departed the right words to speak in the afterlife.

The University College of London explains this material in this way: "Cartonnage is the term used in Egyptology and Papyrology for plastered layers of fibre or papyrus, flexible enough for moulding while wet against the irregular surfaces of the body; the method was used in funerary workshops to produce cases, masks or panels to cover all or part of the mummified and wrapped body.The plastered surface gave an even ground for painting motifs with greater stability than was possible with a linen shroud. "

Sources

Brooklyn Museum, "Cartonnage Fragment with Goddess Seshat," www.brooklynmuseum.org, accessed April 25, 2023.

University College London, "Burial Customs: Cartonnage," www.ucl.ac.uk, 2002.

Official Caption:

Cartonnage Fragment with Goddess Seshat, ca. 1075-712 B.C.E. Linen, gesso, pigment, 10 13/16 × 5 11/16 × 11/16 in. (27.4 × 14.4 × 1.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.2049E (Photo: , CUR.37.2049E_view02.jpg)

Seshat Cartonnage

The Brooklyn Museum

Goddess Seshat and Ancient Public History:

She Who Presides Over
Words,
Wisdom,
and Historical Records

Seshat Cartonnage

Meet Goddess Seshat

Goddess Seshat at a Glance

Ancient Public Historian

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Seshat in Museums

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Modern Scribes

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