Miniature wooden boats are typical in the burials of elite individuals in the First Intermediate period and the Middle Kingdom. The most common types of vessels were pairs of rowing and sailing river vessels. Together this pair encapsulated travel up and down the Nile from Abydos or Busiris, both major cult centers for the god Osiris.1
This model sailing boat depicts two men hard at work, wearing knee-length kilts and short wigs. Their outstretched arms once adjusted a sail and rigging, now lost. Initially, the mast was secured into the square U-shaped mast partner, abutting the figure’s left leg at the bow of the boat. A framework of ten cross-deck beams is painted in red on white. A raised gunwale encircles the vessel with cleats and deck bindings painted in black. This vessel shows considerable modern repainting and rebuilding of the stern. It is also possible that these two sailors have been moved from their original location as part of the modern rebuilding of the boat or added from different sailing vessels.
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Tooley, Angela M.J. 2001. “Models.” In OEAE, vol. 2, edited by Donald B Redford. Oxford: Oxford University Press.. ↩︎
Bibliography
- Tooley 2001
- Tooley, Angela M.J. 2001. “Models.” In OEAE, vol. 2, edited by Donald B Redford. Oxford: Oxford University Press.