LATE PERIOD, 26TH DYNASTY, 664-525 B.C.

Canopic jars contained internal organs removed from the body during the mummification process. The jars came in sets of four, one each for the liver, lungs, stomach and intestines. The present example depicts Imsety, guardian of the liver, wearing a wide wig leaving his ears exposed. For a similar example from a complete set, see no. 137 in D’Auria, et al., Mummies & Magic: The Funerary Arts of Ancient Egypt.

Minna Merril Prindle (1864-1963) was a Duluth-based philanthropist and world traveler who played an important role in her city’s cultural life. Her home on Greysolon Road – where this canopic jar was once displayed – was built by John S. Broadstreet’s firm Craftshouse, one of the first companies specializing in Japanese influenced design in the United States. The living room is now exhibited in the Minneapolis Institute of Art.