Canopic Jar with Baboon-Headed Lid (Hapi)

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 1/8 × 4 7/8 × 5 1/4 in. (28.3 × 12.4 × 13.3 cm)

Mediumlimestone with paint

ClassificationSculpture

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1906.15

On View

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

DescriptionBaboon head shaped. Dummy jar, solid, with incised line to suggest differentiation of cover and jar.

Label TextThis canopic jar is distinguished by its baboon-headed lid, representing Hapi, one of the Four Sons of Horus. Hapi was entrusted with protecting the lungs of the deceased. His role in burial rituals was essential for safeguarding the organs during the journey to the afterlife. As the guardian of the lungs, Hapi was under the protection of the goddess Nephthys, who aided him in ensuring the soul's safe transition into the next world. The baboon head reflects the symbolic role of Hapi, embodying vigilance and devotion. The jar, along with three others—representing Imsety (human head), Duamutef (jackal head), and Qebehsenuef (falcon head)—formed a set that was placed inside a canopic chest. These jars were aligned with the four cardinal directions and served both practical and symbolic purposes throughout the New Kingdom and Late Period. In earlier periods, the jars contained the actual organs removed during the mummification process. Over time, as mummification techniques evolved, the jars were often sealed with resin, signifying a symbolic role in the ritual process. The baboon-headed Hapi remained a critical figure in ensuring cosmic balance by maintaining the spiritual integrity of the lungs.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.