| The study of ancient Egyptian funerary art tends to focus almost exclusively on objects of the royalty and high elite, ignoring works created for lower classes. There was, in fact, social and religious pressure on most, if not all, levels of Egyptian society to prepare and display some kind of funerary materials for their burial. The range of quality was wide, and this diversity provides a central focus for the study. This dissertation investigates the socio-economic, religious, and aesthetic value of Ramesside funerary arts—specifically the variety of quality, in terms of price, materials, and artisanship. Source materials for this study are twofold: hieratic ostraca and papyri from the Theban artisan's village of Deir el Medina, and crafted funerary objects, particularly coffins. Each data set dates to the Ramesside Period, encompassing the nineteenth and twentieth Pharaonic Dynasties from 1295–1070 BCE.; The examination of the textual evidence begins with a lexicographical analysis to provide a firm philological basis for further discussion. A catalogue of pertinent primary texts is included with translations and commentary, so that data can be examined on the micro-level. Price analysis reveals that coffins were assigned different economic values on the basis of varying materials, such as wood or paints, varying sizes, and varying amounts of decoration. The textual data also allows conclusions about the organization of craft labor in the private sector, specifically exposing a phenomenon that I have termed the “informal workshop.”; Examination of the fifty-nine Ramesside coffins in the corpus reveals a tremendous range of value. The methodology for subjective value appraisals are introduced, followed by a catalogue of Ramesside coffins, mummy boards, and masks. The coffins were separated into five distinct groups, each characterized by producers and purchasers with unique aesthetic sensibilities. Together, the visual and textual evidence suggests that segments of ancient Egyptian society, particularly various levels within elite classes, had their own intricate understandings of funerary art's worth, transcending price and a simple linear scale of value. |
