Linen production has a long history in Egypt – dating back to at least 5000 BCE – but it reached new levels of excellence during the Second Intermediate Period (c. 1677-1550 BCE). The Hyksos rulers in this period introduced the vertical loom, an innovation that produced higher quality fabric than the traditional horizontal ground loom.
Linen was used for both the living and the dead. Durable and breathable, it supplied Ancient Egyptian peoples with everything from clothing to sailcloth. Families also recycled linen sheets and clothing into bandages to wrap their dead for burial, one of the most powerful moments in the mummification process. As royal and temple workshops increased production during the New Kingdom (c. 1550-1069 BCE), new linen for bandages became available to those who could afford it.
Some linen wrappings featured painted scenes – depicting food for the deceased, to sustain their spirit, or worshippers bearing offerings to the cow goddess Hathor, who welcomes them into the next world.
This rare fragment might have been used as a votive offering placed on a mummy or coffin. Leading the procession are two figures carrying blue lotus flowers – symbols of rebirth and renewal. The four women on the right wear headdresses with blue projections that may signify the cow ears worn by the daughters or devotees of Hathor. All four women also wear beeswax cones on their heads, which archaeologists speculate may indicate a purified state suitable for encountering divinities.