Canopic Jar with Jackal-Headed Lid (Duamutef)

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Canopic Jar with Jackal-Headed Lid (Duamutef)

Artist Unidentified

Period Late Period (Ancient Egyptian, 664–332 BCE)

Dynasty Dynasty 26 (Saite) (Ancient Egyptian, 664–525 BCE)

Place of OriginEgypt

Dateabout 600 BCE

Dimensions11 3/8 × 4 1/2 × 5 3/8 in. (28.9 × 11.4 × 13.7 cm)

Mediumlimestone with paint

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1906.16

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 02, Classic

Collections

Sculpture

Published References"Egyptian, part II: 6100 BC - 1550 BC," Art-A-Facts, vol. 3, no. 3, Dec. 1999/Jan. 2000, p. 2, repr. (col.).

Peck, William H., Sandra E. Knudsen and Paula Reich, Egypt in Toledo: The Ancient Egyptian Collection at the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Toledo Museum of Art, 2011, p. 77, repr. (col.) p. 13, 77.

Fortenberry, Diane ed., Souvenirs and New Ideas: Travel and Collecting in Egypt and the Near East, Oxford, UK, Oxbow Books, 2013, p. 28, repr. fig. 3.5, p. 29.

Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, The Egypt Experience: Secrets of the Tomb, October 29, 2010-January 8, 2012.

Toledo Museum of Art, The Mummies: From Egypt to Toledo, February 3- May 6, 2018.

Label TextThis canopic jar features a jackal-headed lid, representing Duamutef, one of the Four Sons of Horus. Duamutef was the guardian of the stomach, tasked with protecting it during the deceased's journey into the afterlife. His protective function was complemented by the goddess Neith, who acted as his divine counterpart, ensuring his vigilance over this essential organ. The jackal's head symbolizes watchfulness and ties Duamutef to the desert scavenger's role as a protector of sacred spaces. Alongside the other sons of Horus—Imsety (human head), Hapi (baboon head), and Qebehsenuef (falcon head)—this jar was part of a complete canopic set stored within a canopic chest. Each jar in the set was associated with a specific organ, a cardinal direction, and a protective goddess, reflecting the Egyptians' intricate beliefs surrounding the preservation of the body and the soul. In earlier periods, these jars held the physical organs removed during the mummification process. By the Late Period, canopic jars were often symbolic, sealed with resin, as mummification techniques increasingly left the organs in the body. The jackal-headed Duamutef continued to play a critical role, ensuring the deceased’s safe passage and well-being in the afterlife.