How do you restore a 2000-year-old Egyptian coffin that has seen better days?
In short: The British Museum recently acquired a fragile, centuries-old cartonnage coffin. This video series follows the experts tasked with preserving the object, revealing the complex challenges of modern conservation and the hidden history of life and death in Ancient Egypt.
Acquired by the British Museum in 2018, the Sherborne cartonnage is an Ancient Egyptian artifact approximately 2000 years old. Since its initial excavation in the 1800s, the object has endured significant wear, necessitating a delicate, unobtrusive restoration process led by conservator Verena Kotonski.
Curator John Taylor provides historical context regarding the coffin's original discovery and its journey to the United Kingdom. As the team works, the artifact continues to present new technical challenges, while simultaneously offering researchers fresh insights into ancient funerary practices.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Acquiring a "new" (2000-year-old) Ancient Egyptian coffin: Conservation of Sherborne Cartonnage Ep1
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