Early tombs were considered the eternal dwelling places of the deceased, and the earliest coffins resembled miniature homes in appearance. They were made of small pieces of local wood doweled together.
By the Old Kingdom, coffins were rectangular boxes with flat lids. They were painted and inscribed in hieroglyphs with four important features: the deceased's name and titles; a list of food offerings; a false door through which the ka could pass; and eyes through which the deceased could see outside the coffin. The person was placed in the coffin on their left side, so their face would be directly lined up with the painted eyes on the coffin's side.
By the Middle Kingdom the coffin was considered a miniature tomb, and it was decorated with many of the items that had formerly adorned the walls of the tomb. The goddesses Isis and Nephthys were painted as guards at the head and foot of the coffin. The inside floor of the coffin was painted with Nut, Isis, Osiris, or the Djed pillar (Osiris's backbone). The sides bore the four sons of Horus and other deities. Horizontal inscriptions gave not only the owner's name and titles, but also a prayer for offerings. Vertical inscriptions were prayers to the divinities on behalf of the deceased.
During the Middle Kingdom anthropoid coffins such as the current example appeared. These were coffins carved to the outline of the deceased person's body and decorated with the face and wig of the deceased. They not only copied the person’s form, but they also served as substitute bodies in case the mummified body was lost or destroyed. As time went on, anthropoid coffins were decorated with an increasing number of scenes and inscriptions.
