Coffin for Three Lizards

Place of OriginEgypt

DateDynasty 26 (664-525 BCE) or slightly later

DimensionsH: 15/16 in. (2.4 cm); L: 2 1/16 in. (5.2 cm); W: 1 in. (2.5 cm)

MediumBronze.

ClassificationMummies and Mummy Cases

Credit LineGift of Florence Scott Libbey

Object number

1925.632

Not on View

Collections

Sculpture

Exhibition History"Hands on Egypt," TMA interactive family gallery, Gallery 3, Sept. 18, 1998 - Aug. 31, 2000, made possible by a grant from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund.

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

Label TextLizard coffins were small bronze containers used in Late Period Egypt as votive offerings, typically housing mummified lizards dedicated to solar creator gods like Atum. These animals were seen as sacred due to their sun-loving behavior and regenerative qualities, symbolizing rebirth and divine protection. Devotees would purchase these coffins from temples, often hanging them during rituals or leaving them as offerings to secure blessings or protection for themselves or loved ones. After fulfilling their ritual function, the coffins were buried in sacred animal cemeteries, reflecting the Egyptian belief that all life—human or animal—deserved proper funerary care. This particular example rattles when shaken, suggesting that one or more lizard mummies remain sealed inside.