Mummies have been on the mind this year following the resounding success of Mummies of the World, an ambitious special exhibition held at the National Museum of Nature and Science. Ueno Park is home to another exceptionally rare and remarkable mummy, located on permanent display right next door at the Tokyo National Museum. Join us as we explore the untold secrets of the mummy who slumbers in the halls of the Tokyo National Museum.
A world-famous mummy, shrouded in mystery
A mere three-minute walk from the Mummies of the World exhibition at the National Museum of Nature and Science, visitors to the Tokyo National Museum’s Toyokan Gallery will find the Mummy of Pasherienptah (ca. 945-730 BC). Eponymously named after the mummified individual as he would have been known in his lifetime, the Mummy of Pasherienptah was donated to the Imperial Household Museum (predecessor of the present-day Tokyo National Museum) in May 1904 by Gaston Maspero, director general of the Egyptian government’s Service des Antiquités. Put on display soon thereafter, the mummy is indicated in contemporary accounts as having been a popular exhibit, with a mention of the large crowds that clamored for a look at the exotic new arrival.
The Mummy of Pasherienptah on display. After arriving at the museum, the coffin was cut open to separate the top “lid” from the lower case, revealing the mummy contained inside.
For over a century since, the Mummy of
Pasherienptah has remained in the Tokyo National Museum collection on regular
display. This longevity raises the question: What is it about mummies that
continues to captivate audiences, both past and present? According to Takuzo
Onozuka, a curatorial researcher with the Tokyo National Museum:
“Whether in the Meiji period or the
present day, I suspect that people have been drawn to the mummy out of a morbid
curiosity to see this human who died thousands of years ago. While duly respecting
the deceased, we as researchers are also fascinated by this compelling, raw quality.”
Our guide for the day, Takuzo Onozuka. The affable researcher jokes that he is somewhat akin to a personal valet, tasked with taking care of the Mummy of Pasherienptah.
As one of only two full ancient Egyptian mummies in Japan, the Mummy of Pasherienptah is also exceptionally rare for another reason.
“One of the mummy’s defining features is its cartonnage coffin, which has been coated in a pitch-black substance. We are not entirely sure about the specific nature of this substance, but it has largely obscured the inscriptions and depictions of deities that adorn the coffin’s surface. Many ancient Egyptian mummies and coffins have been discovered across the world, but it’s incredibly rare to find a mummy preserved together with a cartonnage coffin such as this.”
Provenance revealed with newfound clarity
In recent years, researchers have made two further discoveries regarding the mummy. The first: his age.
For conservation purposes, the mummy is housed in a nitrogen-filled display case in a low-light environment.
“A casket will commonly bear a hieroglyphic inscription, denoting the deceased’s name along with their title, indicating their social standing and role. As this mummy’s casket did not list his title, it was long assumed that he was a young boy. However, a CT scan performed in 2015 revealed that the individual was at least 30 years at the time of death, making him squarely middle-aged in terms of life expectancy at the time.※1 Although his title wasn’t documented, the mummification process was clearly performed with exceptional care. His internal organs were meticulously removed, and the casket is of high quality. From this, perhaps we can at least assume that he was a wealthy individual. I think this element of creative detective work is one of the great appeals of mummies.”
The other revelation pertains to the mummy’s provenance. Although the Tokyo National Museum’s records showed the date of acquisition and identity of the item’s previous owner, it was unclear how exactly the donation was brokered. Then, in the summer of 2019, the researcher discovered a piece of evidence that shed new light on the long-standing mystery.
A letter uncovered by chance amidst the vast archival holdings of the Tokyo National Museum. The discovery might pave the way for further research. *
“Serendipitously, I discovered a letter from the Antiquities Service of Egypt in our extensive archives. In the letter, the agency’s director expresses his delight upon hearing the mummy had arrived safely in Japan. When I announced the letter’s discovery at the International Council of Museums (ICOM) conference held in Kyoto in 2019, the news garnered quite a bit of attention from prominent Egyptologists the world over.”
Ancient Egyptians are said to have believed in an eternal afterlife, spent in a paradise called the “Field of Reeds.” By fortunate happenstance, it turned out that the final resting place of the Mummy of Pasherienptah would be the Tokyo National Museum. Admiring the exquisite exhibit, one can’t help but ponder the many curious caprices of fate.
Takuzo Onozuka Member of the Tokyo National Museum Curatorial Research Department. Onozuka joined the Tokyo National Museum in 2014, where he currently conducts research on the museum’s collection of West Asian and Egyptian archaeological material. Onozuka has also served as a core team member actively involved in the planning of a number of notable exhibitions, including Man, God & Nature in the Ancient World: Masterpieces fromThe Al Thani Collection. His specialty is Near and Middle Eastern archaeology.
Text: Takahiro Okuda Photos: Fumitaka Miyoshi Note: Photos denoted with an asterisk (*) provided courtesy of the Tokyo National Museum
Mummy of Pasherienptah
Tokyo National Museum Toyokan (Asian Gallery) Room 3 ※2 Origin: Excavated at Thebes, Egypt Era: Third Intermediate Period (22nd Dynasty) ca. 945 – 730 B.C Condition: Housed in a cartonnage case Acquisition: Gift of Egyptian Department of Antiquities Collection: Tokyo National Museum
※1 Reflects the anthropological views of Kazuhiro Sakaue, a researcher with the National Museum of Nature and Science. ※2 A regular admission ticket is required. (Visitors may also gain entry with a special exhibition ticket.)
Note: Information in this article current as of January 2020.
