Mummy-Cover of Nesychonsw 21a Dynasty, Thebes CAI CG61030 CESRAS Site Directory Coffins Directory First Page Next Page |
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Images and parts thereof may be used freely for non-commercial purposes. If published in print or electronic media, a reference to CESRAS
must accompany the image. If published on a web-site, a link to www.cesras.org is required. Thank you for your cooperation.
edward r. loring/cesras network administrator, For further information contact admin@cesras.org
Images and parts thereof may be used freely for non-commercial purposes. If published in print or electronic media, a reference to CESRAS
must accompany the image. If published on a web-site, a link to www.cesras.org is required. Thank you for your cooperation.
edward r. loring/cesras network administrator, For further information contact admin@cesras.org
As an initial step in the joint research project of the Armenian Egyptology Centre of the State University of
Yerevan and CESRAS for the reproduction of a 21a Dynasty painted anthropoid coffin using ancient
methods and identical materials, this page demonstrates the graphic reconstruction of a central section of
the mummy-cover of Nesychonsw: the section as it appears today, the section with the background cleaned
of the yellow discolouration caused by degradation of the pistacia varnish applied after painting was
completed, the design restored to its interpolated colours on the original white background, and a detail of
how the work of the outline-draughtsman would have appeared before painting. The reconstructed colours
shown here are a digital norm compiled from coffins which we have photographed and investigated at the
pixel level, using an average resolution of 5000 dpi and magnification between x800 and x1200. The images
shown here (made Jan. 2007) were shot using the Nikon D70/D70s generation of cameras. From July 2008
on, we are using the Nikon D300 (stabilized) generation with state-of-the-art optics ( AF-S Micro-Nikkor
105mm 1:2.8 G ED, AF-S Nikkor 24.120 mm I:3.5-5.6 G with an additional 4x magnification screw-on lens, and
more... ), selected to master the terrible-to-catastrophic conditions for photography in most collections.
These advanced optics gather more light than the human eye and there is no longer a problem with flash
and reflections. (Please don't blame the museums for the bad conditions. The object shown here was
"cased" in 1904, the glass is original; the rotted tape patching gaps in the glass is a contribution of the
1950's. In 1968, shortly after the Mid-East war, I remember that all the glass was criss-crossed with tape to
prevent bomb damage. Removing it didn't make it more friendly for photographers)..
. Although not the subject of the actual reconstruction, we have chosen this object for study because it is
an example of the best work of the period. Further studies will be posted here as the project develops and
we shall keep you informed.
Edward R. Loring, CESRAS Research Fellow and Deputy Project Director, Moscow, 20 June, 2008
Yerevan and CESRAS for the reproduction of a 21a Dynasty painted anthropoid coffin using ancient
methods and identical materials, this page demonstrates the graphic reconstruction of a central section of
the mummy-cover of Nesychonsw: the section as it appears today, the section with the background cleaned
of the yellow discolouration caused by degradation of the pistacia varnish applied after painting was
completed, the design restored to its interpolated colours on the original white background, and a detail of
how the work of the outline-draughtsman would have appeared before painting. The reconstructed colours
shown here are a digital norm compiled from coffins which we have photographed and investigated at the
pixel level, using an average resolution of 5000 dpi and magnification between x800 and x1200. The images
shown here (made Jan. 2007) were shot using the Nikon D70/D70s generation of cameras. From July 2008
on, we are using the Nikon D300 (stabilized) generation with state-of-the-art optics ( AF-S Micro-Nikkor
105mm 1:2.8 G ED, AF-S Nikkor 24.120 mm I:3.5-5.6 G with an additional 4x magnification screw-on lens, and
more... ), selected to master the terrible-to-catastrophic conditions for photography in most collections.
These advanced optics gather more light than the human eye and there is no longer a problem with flash
and reflections. (Please don't blame the museums for the bad conditions. The object shown here was
"cased" in 1904, the glass is original; the rotted tape patching gaps in the glass is a contribution of the
1950's. In 1968, shortly after the Mid-East war, I remember that all the glass was criss-crossed with tape to
prevent bomb damage. Removing it didn't make it more friendly for photographers)..
. Although not the subject of the actual reconstruction, we have chosen this object for study because it is
an example of the best work of the period. Further studies will be posted here as the project develops and
we shall keep you informed.
Edward R. Loring, CESRAS Research Fellow and Deputy Project Director, Moscow, 20 June, 2008
| Section as displayed in the museum in 2007 CESRAS photo by Sergej V. Ivanov, 01.07 |
| White background cleaned of yellowing CESRAS photo by Sergej V. Ivanov, 01.07 Digital processing by Edward R. Loring, 06.08 |
Design reconstructed as painted
erl/06.08
erl/06.08
Reconstructed detail of the outline-draughtsman's design for the painters
erl/06.08
erl/06.08