Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagus On Display As Sadigh Gallery Celebrates Three Decades in Business

Online, March 26, 2010 (Newswire.com) - New York, NY-3,500 year old terracotta sarcophagus that once contained mummified body of ancient Egyptian man is on display at Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art, Inc. The sarcophagus that is currently on display values at $250,000. Although it may not be affordable to the general public, people are welcomed to visit the gallery and view this treasured antiquity. This unique sarcophagus from 18th Dynasty Egypt, shows the painting of the four sons of Horus (Imsety, head of a man; Hapy, head of a baboon; Kebechsenef, head of a falcon; Anubis, head of a jackal). One vertical row of hieroglyphics is also visible.
The term "Coffin" is usually applied to the rectangular or anthropoid container in which the Egyptians placed the mummified body, whereas the word "Sarcophagus" (Greek: "Flesh-Eating") is used to refer only to the outer container, invariably encasing one or more coffins. The distinction made between these two items of Egyptian funerary equipment is therefore essentially an artificial one, since both shared the same role of protecting the body of the deceased. The sarcophagi are made of wood and clay and conform to the shape of human body. They are covered with linen which was then coated and painted with colorful images of ancient Egyptian gods. Also decorating the surfaces are hundreds of hieroglyphic inscriptions from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Sadigh Gallery is a family-owned art gallery specializing in ancient artifacts and coins from around the world. The gallery is located on Fifth Avenue of New York City, in the heart of commerce. We are currently celebrating three decades in business with various rare and beautiful antiquities from ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, Asia, Africa, and many more. Some of the most intriguing antiquity among our extensive collection is the ancient Egyptian terracotta sarcophagus.