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360 Virtual Tour:

Furusiyya: The Art of Chivalry Between East and West Art from Home: The Burial Trappings of Henuttawy

While Louvre Abu Dhabi is temporarily closed, you can still experience the museum’s most recent international exhibition through a 360 virtual tour available on the museum’s website. In this virtual tour, you can navigate throughout the entire exhibition and select 18 of the artworks on view for a closer look through clicking on a digital tag. Pieces include Louvre Abu Dhabi’s spectacular Ottoman Horse Armour from the late 15th century, installed alongside a European Horse and Knight Armour from the first quarter of the 16th century, on loan from Musée de l’armée; a cameo from 260 A.D. depicting the Fight between Emperor Valerian and King Shapur from the collections of Bibliothèque Nationale de France; and the Turban Helmet of Sultan Bajazet II from Musée de l’armée, among other works.

Sarcophagus of Princess Henuttawy: Coffins and mummy wrappings

Egypt, 950–900 BCE, H. 180 cm; painted wood, stuccoed and painted cloth Louvre Abu Dhabi

© Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi

The seemingly immutable system of Egyptian funerary practices and beliefs is actually an illusion, as they never ceased to evolve from the time of the Old Kingdom (2625−2130 BCE). At the beginning of the 1st millennium BCE, when Egypt underwent a period of serious political unrest, the pillaging of royal burial chambers in the necropolis of Thebes caused general anxiety and brought about a transformation of customs. One was an increase in the number of protective layers for the deceased and

This is why the princess Henuttawy, Pharaoh’s daughter, was buried in an exceptional set of nested sarcophagi and a cartonnage case that enveloped her like a veritable cocoon, on both of which her name and titles were repeated continually. Henuttawy, “Venerated Mistress of the House”, was the “Daughter of the king, Lord of the Two Lands, Sheshonq” and of “Shebet-Aset.” Although we are unable to identify which pharaoh is mentioned as several named Sheshonq ruled Egypt at the start of the millennium, the name of the king immediately links this princess with the royal families of the 22nd Dynasty (945–715 BCE).

The body rested beneath richly decorated cartonnage representing the shroud of Osiris. The burial mask is made from gilded wood to imitate the imperishable flesh of the gods. The delicacy of the features and the large, elegantly underlined eyes attest to treatment reserved exclusively for the royal entourage. The numerous divinities depicted on the cartonnage include Maat, Osiris, Isis and Nephthys, as well as the four sons of Horus and the goddess Hathor, all of whom reinforce the physical and symbolic protection of the princess.

Three apparently modest wooden sarcophagi protected the princess’s mortal remains. In an approximate reproduction of the shape of the princess’s body, they gave no indication of the lavishness of the cartonnage inside. The use of cartonnage increased during the Third Intermediate Period. Hugging the body of the deceased, it was moulded around a core made of mud, straw and several layers of linen, then covered with stucco and painted. A long slit in the underside allowed the body to be inserted once the core had been removed.

The cartonnage of Henuttawy is remarkable for the vibrancy of the colours and the delicacy of its painted decoration. The princess’s face, carved from wood and gilded, the refinement of her features, and her eyes in glass paste emphasized with kohl together endow the figure with striking presence. Although Henuttawy has her fists closed on the outer sarcophagi, her fingers are long and tapering on the cartonnage case. Their slenderness and the detail given to the nails provide another instance of the skill of the craftsmen who worked for the royal family. Maat, who can be identified by the feather she wears on her headdress, is seen beneath Henuttawy’s large usekh collar. The goddess of justice was of primary importance in the Judgement of Osiris, when the soul of the deceased was weighed against the feather of Maat to see whether it would be allowed to enjoy eternal life in the afterworld. The Source 17

Treatise on Combat

Augsburg, Germany, late 15th century. Ink and wash on paper. Paris, Musée de Cluny, formerly collection of the Princes de Furstenberg, acquisition 2008. Photo (C) RMN-Grand Palais (musée de Cluny - musée national du Moyen- ge) / Jean-Gilles Berizzi.

Do you know what it takes to become a knight? Join our knights from the East and the West on a journey to learn about values, skills and tools to join the League of Furusiyya.

Make and Play Learn how to make art inspired by the collection using simple materials with your family

Make a collage creating a bag inspired by the lines and colours of Mondrian’s painting Create an animal mask Create your own heroic helmet Create your own shadow puppet horse inspired by Furusiyya exhibition

Engage in e-learning resources designed for children, educators and families

The Louvre Abu Dhabi learning resources aim to enhance your experience and to extend it to the classroom and homes through engaging questions and interactive activities.

The learning resources invite young and adult visitors to learn actively and make strong connections with the collection and the exhibitions by taking the lead as self-guides who direct their own experiences.