The Egyptian Section of the Civic Museum of Crema (Italy) and its latest additions

PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXII/2024, 7–20 The Egyp ian Sec ion o he Ci ic Museum o C ema (I aly) and i s la es addi ions Ch is ian O senigo ABSTRACT The aim o his pape is o gi e an o e iew o he Egyp ian Sec ion o he Museum o C ema (I aly). The i s co e o he collec ion comes om ha o he la e Ca la Ma ia Bu i (1935–2009), who wo ked in Egyp be ween he 1960s and 2000s. Mo eo e , he dona ion o he Museum o C ema o ano he p i a e collec ion has been o malized a he beginning o 2020. The highligh s om bo h collec ions a e he e discussed and p esen ed oge he wi h he la es addi ions o he Egyp ian Sec ion, consis ing o some an iqui ies om he collec ion o he la e P o esso Giampie o Gue eschi. KEYWORDS Ancien Egyp – museum collec ions– Egyp ian collec ions– Egyp ian an iqui ies– I aly هتافاضإ ثدحأو )ايلاطيإ( ىندملا اميرك فحتمب يرصملا مسقلا وغينيسروأ نايتسيرك صخلملا كلت رهوج نوكت ثيح .)ايلاطيإ( اميرك فحتمب دوجوملا ىرصملا مسقلا نع ةماع ةحمل ءاطعإ وه ةقرولا هذه نم فدهلا نإ .نيرشعلا نرقلا رخاوأو تاينيتس نيب رصم يف تلمع ىتلا ،(1935–2009) ىروب ايرام لاراك ةلحارلا قيرط نع ةعومجملا .2020 ماع ةيادب ىف اميرك فحتمب ىرخأ ةصاخ تاينتقم ةعومجمب عربتلا ىلع ىمسرلا عباطلا ءافضإ مت ،كلذ ىلع ةولاع ىرصملا مسقلا تافاضإ ثدحأ عم بنج ىلإ ًابنج امهميدقت متي ثيح ،نيتعومجملا اتلك نم ةيرثلأا عطقلا مهأ ةقرولا كلت لوانتت .ىشتريوج ورييبمايج لحارلا روسيفوربلا ةعومجم نم راثلآا ضعب نم نوكتت ىتلاو ،فحتملل :ةلادلا تاملكلا ايلاطيإ – ةيرصملا راثلآا – ةيرصملا تاينتقملا – فحتملا تاينتقم – ةميدقلا رصم This pape aims o gi e an o e iew o he an iqui ies om he Egyp ian Sec ion o he Museum o C ema (I aly), and o p esen some o he la es addi ions o he Sec ion. The Museum was opened in he 1960s in wha had been aFi een h Cen u y monas e y. Among he ounde s was Ca la Ma ia Bu i, who, upon he dea h in 2009, bequea hed he pe sonal collec ion o an iqui ies o he ci y. The Bu i Collec ion ep esen s he co e o he Egyp ian Sec ion o he Museum. The collec ion was o med o e many yea s, and e lec s no only Bu i’s as e o beau y, bu also o “cu ious” objec s. Ca la Bu i was a egula isi o o auc ion houses and o deale s au ho ized by he Egyp ian Go e nmen in he an iqui ies ade, and she could o en be ound a he Sale Room o he Cai o Egyp ian Museum, making pu chases (O senigo 2019). 8PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXII/2024 Ca la Bu i was bo n in 1935, and in he 1960s le I aly o Egyp and wo ked he e in e ‑ mi en ly un il he 2000s, i s as Cul u al a aché o he I alian Embassy, hen as Di ec o o he I alian Cul u al Ins i u e o Cai o, while a he end o he ca ee she was appoin ed I alian Gene al ‑commissione o I aly ‑Egyp ini ia i es. Ca la Bu i was well known o he skills in he Egyp ological milieu o he second hal o he Twen ie h Cen u y, as we e he g ea es schola s o he pe iod. Be ween 1964 and 1981, as a aché o he I alian Cul u al Ins i u e o Cai o, Ca la Bu i played an ac i e ole in helping he I alian a chaeological missions wo king in Egyp , pa icula ly hose in ol ed in he escue o Nubian si es and monumen s a ec ed by he Aswan High Dam P ojec . And i is hanks o he in e cession, and o he wo k o he la e P o esso Sil io Cu o, ha , in 1966, he Egyp ian Go e nmen made he decision o dona e, as oken o i s g a i ude o I aly, he ock ‑ emple o Ellesyia, which oday is one o he highligh s o he Museo Egizio o Tu in (Gallo Ca abba 2012). Some yea s ago, unde he aegis o he Supe in endence o A chaeological He i age o Lomba dy, we we e asked o unde ake a esea ch s udy on he Bu i’san iqui ies and o pu oge he an Egyp ian sec ion dedica ed o he la e Ca la Bu i a he Museum o C ema, which opened in Ap il 2019. A ew mon hs a e he opening o he new Sec ion, ano he pa on, Ms. Ca la Campa i, exp essed he desi e o dona e he own collec ion o an iqui ies o C ema, ollowing he example o he college oomma e and long ‑ ime iend, Ca la Bu i. The Museum accep ed he beques , which was also named in memo y o Camillo Lucchi, he dono ’sla e husband. The collec ion, which is complemen a y o he Bu i one, consis s o ound 100 a e ac s. Be ween 1966 and 1972, all he objec s we e acqui ed legally du ing he jou neys o he Lucchi amily o Egyp , while addi ional ew objec s we e gi s, hey ecei ed be o e 1977 (O senigo 2020a; O senigo 2022a). We will now p oceed wi h agene al o e iew o he main ma e ials included in bo h Col‑ lec ions– Bu i and Campa i ‑Lucchi– exhibi ed in he showcases o he Museum (no hose in he s o e ooms), g ouping hem by ypology ollowing, whene e possible, ach onological imeline. The mos ancien a e ac s a e se e al lin ‑s one implemen s, p obably o Fayum p o enance, which co e a as ch onological span ex ending om he Lowe Palaeoli hic o he Neoli hic (in . 1259a ‑n)1 and– con inuing he ch onological imeline– we can men ion he p esence o he oldes Pha aonic piece o he Collec ion, namely a aience ile, which e y likely was pa o he wall deco a ion o he galle ies unde nea h Djose ’sS ep Py amid (in . 2160) (Ziegle e al 1999: 148–150; Da ido i s– Da ido i s 2017; F iedmann 1998: ca . 17–20). Two wooden s a ue es a e also o be men ioned, which ela e o he Fi s In e media e Pe iod o o he beginning o he Middle Kingdom. The body o he i s one, awoman leaning o wa d, sugges s ha he igu ine o iginally belonged o amodel o daily li e ha saw he engaged in ac i i ies such as baking, b ewing, o wea ing (in . 2154) (Tooley 1995; Winlock 1955: pl. 22–23 and 26–27; Lo e 2007: ca . 165; D’Amicone– Pozzi Ba aglia 2009: 208; F eede al. 2009: 172, ig. 132). Con e sely, he sea ed pose o he o he s a ue e, which depic s aman, could sugges ha he o iginally belonged o amodel ‑boa : in his case i would ep esen an oa sman (in . 2153). I is concei able, howe e , ha i may be aman in en on some ac i i y ha equi ed 1 Cu en ly unde s udy by Giulio Luca ini, Ins i u e o He i age Science, Na ional Resea ch Coun‑ cil o I aly (ISPC CNR) / Dep . o Asian, A ican and Medi e anean S udies, Uni e si y o Naples L’O ien ale. 9CHRISTIAN ORSENIGO Fig. 1 Sea ed man om amodel o daily li e (©Museum o C ema, pho o by A. Boni) Fig. 2 Te aco a o e ing ay (©Museum o C ema, pho o by A. Boni) 10 PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXII/2024 him o be sea ed (Tooley 1995; Winlock 1955: pl. 35, 37, 41, 43, 46 and 48; Glan ille 1972: pl. 4, ig. 11, pl. 7, ig. 19 and pl. 9, ig. 23; D’Amicone– Pozzi Ba aglia 2009: 266; Gio e i– Picchi 2015: ca . III.21) ( ig. 1). App oxima ely belonging o he same pe iod, is ahand ‑buil o al ‑shaped e aco a o ‑ e ing ay wi h aised ex e io walls. Nume ous ep oduc ions o ood o e ings a e applied in elie . In addi ion o he ood, objec s o mo e di icul in e p e a ion a e applied o he bo om o he ay. These a e mos likely o be a chi ec u al elemen s such as column bases and sea s. Due o i s o al shape, i is concei able o he objec o ha e aTheban, o a any a e, an Uppe Egyp p o enance (in . 2161) (Mülle – Fo s ne ‑Mülle 2015; Kilian 2012: esp. 108; Mi 2020) ( ig. 2). The C ema Collec ion also includes se e al objec s mo e p ope ly belonging o he une a y equipmen o awide ch onological spec um, up o he P olemaic and Roman E a. Among hem some shab is, adozen wooden aces om an h opomo phic co ins, and wo agmen s om ca onnage mummy ‑cases. On close examina ion o he shab is belonging o he Bu i Collec ion, wo a e ca ed in wood and h ee a e modelled in e aco a. The i s wooden shab i p esen s apa icula ly schema ic ende ing o he a ms and could belong o a ypology common o he i s hal o he New Kingdom o being amedioc e ealiza ion o he Ramesside pe iod (in . 2165) (c . e.g. Janes 2002: ca . 28; Aube – Aube 2005: ca . 15, 17; Ch is ie’s6/7/1994: lo 71; Ch is ie’s25/10/2007: lo 179; Be gé 29/05/2013: lo 29; Be gé 30/5/2015: lo 25), whe eas he o he one p esen s some simila ea u es o wooden specimens o ine wo kmanship da ing back o he New Kingdom, in pa icula o he Nine een h Dynas y (in . 2166) (c . e.g. Janes 2002, ca . 24; Be gé 30/11/2012, lo 293; Eisenbe ge – P ice 2014: lo 180). Unlike he wooden ones, he h ee e aco a shab is, a e insc ibed (in . 2162–2164). The wo kmanship o he specimens, g oups hem wi h o he simila shab is o a“p o incial s yle” da ing back o he second hal o he New Kingdom (in . 21162: c . e.g. Janes 2002: ca . 24; Be gé 30/11/2012: lo 293; Eisenbe ge – P ice 2014: lo 180; in . 2163; Aube – Aube 1974: 126–129; an Haa lem 1990: asc. II, 19; D os e zu Hulsho e al. 1991: ca . 9; Chappaz 1984: ca . 21; B es‑ ciani– Be ò 2004: 292, n. 8; Aube – Aube 2005: ca . 25; in . 2164; Be gé 1/12/2007: lo 413). The Lucchi ‑Campa i collec ion includes wo shab is as well. The i s is modelled in lime‑ s one and is educed o only he cen al agmen . The modelling and he choice o ma e ial sugges s ada e ‑back o he New Kingdom (in . 2413) (O senigo 2022a: 144–145). The second shab i o he collec ion is made o e aco a using aone ‑piece mould (in . 2414). The back o he shab i shows no aces o p ocessing, while an excess o clay ma e ial, no emo ed a e baking, is e iden on he sides. We a ou ada ing a he beginning o he Ramesside pe iod. This is suppo ed by une a y s a ue es almos iden ical o he one in ques ion coming om documen ed a chaeological con ex s. We a e e e ing, o example, o some mummi o m shab is unea hed in Qan i by he mission o he Hildeshiem Pelizaeus ‑Museum (Moje 2016: 206, ca . 01/B and 207, ig. 2; c . also Reise ‑Haslaue 1990: 101). As p e iously men ioned, he e is ala ge g oup o an h opomo phic co in ace ‑pieces da ‑ ing back mainly o he Thi d In e media e and La e pe iods. Al hough mos o he specimens in he collec ion a e a he c udely ca ed in wood (c e.g. Edga 1905; Schmid 1919; D’Au‑ ia– Laco a a– Roeh ig 1988; Ik am– Dodson 1998; Laco a a– Teasley T ope 2001; Jø gensen 2009; Dawson– S udwick 2016), wo s and ou because o hei li ely polych omy (in . 2172 and in . 2428). The s yle adop ed in he handc a ing o hese wooden aces, as well as hei 11CHRISTIAN ORSENIGO p opo ions, allow acompa ison wi h o he simila i ems, a ibu able o inne co ins om he Theban a ea, da ing back o he XXII h Dynas y ( o in . 2172, O senigo 2020b: 69–71; o in . 2428, O senigo 2022a: 149) ( ig. 3). Fig. 3 An h opomo phic co in ace ‑piece (©Museum o C ema, pho o by A. Boni) 12 PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXII/2024 Equally pe inen o his g oup o objec s, a e a agmen o a oo co e ing om amummy (in . 2430) and anice polych ome ca onnage coming om he back e minal o amask, de‑ pic ing ahuman ‑headed ba ‑bi d (in . 2173) (O senigo 2022b). Un o una ely, no hing is known abou he p o enance o his la e objec , as is he case o a e y simila agmen kep a he Pe ie Museum, ha is apa icula ly good compa andum (Pe ie Museum da abase online: UCL 45892). The ma e ial is linen co e ed wi h plas e and hen pain ed. Ca onnages such as his, as i is known, can be da ed om P olemaic o Roman Pe iods ( ig. 4). The las wo i ems p esen ed, as well as o he polych ome a e ac s om he Bu i Collec‑ ion, ha e been subjec ed o non ‑in asi e analyses ca ied ou by a eam o he Physics Depa ‑ men o he Poli ecnico di Milano. The g oup, called A isLab, is specialized in he de elopmen o pho onics ‑based de ices o he non ‑in asi e applica ion on cul u al he i age ma e ials. The analysis ca ied ou in C ema was aimed a in es iga ing op ical p ope ies o pigmen s, and, in pa icula , a iden i ying he p esence o “Egyp ian blue” aces (Comellie al. 2016). The Bu i collec ion also comp ises ag ea numbe o amule s. Among hose a e some specimens in he o m o he wadje ‑eye (in . 2174–2175–2155), as well as apo e y mould o p oduc ion o he same ype o amule (in . 2176), o he han a e ined aience sca ab pie ced Fig. 4 Ca onnage coming om he back e minal o amask (©Museum o C ema, pho o by A. Boni) 13CHRISTIAN ORSENIGO wi h holes (in . 2178). Two o he amule s po ay Bes (in . 2180–2181); ano he one depic s him la ge in scale, ca ed in wood, and his i em is p obably o be in e p e ed as a u ni u e inlay wi h an apo opaic pu pose (in . 2182). In addi ion, he e is aso ‑called “ alisman d’he euse ma e ni é” (un o una ely agmen a y), as well as asmall bi on al mask o he goddess Ha ho , pe haps o iginally inse ed as an amule in he handle o asis um (in . 2183 a–b and 2186). Isis (in . 2415), Tho in o m o an ibis (in . 2416), and ajackal ‑headed dei y inse ed as pendan in anecklace (in . 2431), a e ins ead om he Lucchi ‑Campa i Collec ion. The Bu i collec ion, as well he Lucchi ‑Campa i, include se e al o i e b onzes, mos da ing back o he La e Pe iod. Those om he Bu i Collec ion include one Osi is depic ed in his usual pose (in . 2191), one Osi is ‑Canopus (in . 2191), he god Ne e em (in . 2193), amale human head (pe haps Imho ep) (in . 2157), aca head (in . 2195), asmall papy i o m si ula (in . 2196.), and a e ined s a ue e o Bes on alo us column. The composi ion as awhole deno es ace ain echnical skill and mas e y o he ma e ial used o i s ealiza ion (in . 2194) ( ig. 5). Fig. 5 S a ue e o Bes on alo us column (©Museum o C ema, pho o by A. Boni) 14 PRAGUE EGYPTOLOGICAL STUDIES XXXII/2024 On he o he hand, he Lucchi ‑Campa i Collec ion includes a igu e o Osi is, apan heis ic dei y, an u aeus, one igu e o E os, wo ep esen a ions o Ha poc a e and one oos e (in . 2418–2424). ANew Kingdom mi o , ecen ly es o ed, is also wo h men ioning, e en i i is no a“ o i e” b onze (in . 2308) (O senigo 2023). Asubs an ial numbe o a e ac s om he Bu i and Lucchi ‑Campa i collec ions e e o he Egyp ian cho oplas ic p oduc ion o he G aeco ‑Roman and Byzan ine pe iod. E en i some o hem a e un o una ely agmen a y, his does no p e en in mos cases hei iden i ica ion. In pa icula , he main dei ies wo shipped du ing he long pe iod ollowing he conques o Egyp by Alexande he G ea , a e well ep esen ed. Among hem: Isis, in he o m o Isis ‑Lac ans, Isis ‑The mou his, o Isis ‑Aph odi e, Se apis, Hapoc a es, ep esen ed in he ypical ges u e o an index inge placed on sealed lips, whe eas a ew o he i ems show him wi h ahand es ing on apo (“L’Ha poc a e au ‑po ”), bu also lesse common dei ies such as Bes ‑Silenus (in . 2406) (O senigo 2021) and He manubis. The e a e also many zoomo phic igu ines, which, as i is well known, we e pa icula ly wide ‑sp ead in he Hellenis ‑Roman cho oplas ic (O senigo 2024). Bo h he collec ions house se e al oil lamps mos ly in ape ec s a e o p ese a ion, da ing back o he Roman and Byzan ine e as. Se e al among he oldes pieces belong o he “ og” ype, some o hem, pa icula ly nice and de ailed (c . e.g. Młyna czyk 1997: 100–104; Michelucci 1975: 197, 199, 201, 203, 205 and 207; Pe nigo i 1994: ca . VIII.12–13; G enie e al. 1997: ca . 259–261; Bagh 2011: ca . AEIN 1197; Lin z– Coude 2013: ca . 350–351). Two o he i ems om he ea ly Byzan ine ime a e ampullae wi h ep esen a ions o Sain Mena (in . 2231–2232) (B esciani 2010: 9, no e 9; Gilli 2002a; Gilli 2002b). In addi ion, i is wo h men ioning nine een glass con aine s. Wi h he excep ion o one specimen, all o hese a e con aine s in ended o he ade and s o age o oin men s, as well as cosme ics o medicinal powde s. These co e awide imespan, anging om he Roman impe ial e a o he i s Islamic pe iod (in . 2211–2229) (Romagnolo 2016). The Islamic Pe iod, pa icula ly he Ea ly Islamic Pe iod, is ep esen ed by some agmen‑ a y clay s aine s, ala ge ex ile ‑ agmen da ing back o he Mamluk pe iod bu also he only insc ibed papy us om he collec ion.2 The Egyp ian Sec ion o he Museum o C ema also includes some s one a e ac s, ou o which dese e special men ion. The i s i em is he lowe agmen o asmall calci e essel (in . 2412). An insc ip ion eng a ed in hie oglyphs, pe haps o iginally pain ed, p ese es po ion o a ex , whe e we can ead “[…] lo ed by Min o Cop os”. The i em, o ma e ial, ypology and con en o he insc ip ion, is compa able wi h ase ies o essel ‑models om ounda ion deposi s unea hed by Flinde s Pe ie in Cop os in he a ea o he Temple o Min, da ing back o he pe iod in which Thu mose III ebuil apa o he main emple (Po e – Moss 1962: 125; Pe ie 1896: 13–14, pls. 1, 14–16; Weins ein 1973: 178–180, 40A; and esp. Adams 1975).3 The second s one objec o he Collec ion ha we would like o men ion is asmall leonine p o ome, ca ed in limes one wi h a e ined wo kmanship (in . 2426). The igno ance o he con ex o p o enance makes he in e p e a ion o he i em di icul . I could be an ex ‑ o o, 2 Cu en ly unde s udy by A ianna D’O one Rambach (La Sapienza Uni e si à di Roma). 3 Compa e also: Pe ie Museum, UC 15904–15906; Manches e Museum, 3591; Be lin, Ägyp isches Museum und Papy us‑Sammlung, 12504; Ox o d, Ashmolean Museum, E.4293 (pho og aph in Gabolde– Galliano 2000: 68); Philadelphia, Penn Museum, E.955A–B. 15CHRISTIAN ORSENIGO an a chi ec u al elemen , o asculp o ’smodel. Ada ing o he end o he P olemaic pe iod o he C ema lion could pe haps be hypo hesized based on acompa ison o i s acial ea u es wi h hose o he sphinxes o he d omos o he Temple o Medine Madi, bu agene ic da ing o he P olemaic pe iod would pe haps seem mo e p uden (c . e.g. Bianchi 1981; Tomoum 2005: ca . 120–123, pl. 64, igs. a–d and pl. 65, ig. a. 148; A holde ‑Gé a d– Co nic 1994: ca . 24; A slan 1997: ca . II.56–II.58). The o he objec is alimes one sculp u e which ep oduces he head o aKing (in . 2197). The back o he piece is ough and shows no signs o wo kmanship. Many examples a e known ha ha e he same cha ac e is ics, o he han being un inished as well. This ype o depic ion does no ind uni ocal in e p e a ion by schola s. As i is well known, acco ding o some, hey we e sculp o ’smodels, bu o o he s a e o be in e p e ed as o i e objec s deposi ed in emples. Based on pa allels, we would sugges assigning his head o he eign o P olemy II (Ash on 2005; Tomoum 2005; S anwick 2002; Ash on 2001: ca . 3–6; Jø gensen 2009: ca . 146.3; Eisenbe ge 1960: lo 2; Be gé 26/11/2013: lo 133). The limes one po ai is exhibi ed in he same showcase wi h asmall clay modelled sphinx wi h ahuman head. Ag oup o simila igu ines was unea hed by Flinde s Pe ie in Memphis. The p oximi y o he si e o he Giza pla eau, has led o he hypo hesis ha hese igu ines we e bough by pilg ims who wen in la ge numbe s in he G aeco ‑Roman pe iod o isi he a ea and i s monumen s. The las s one objec we would like o men ion is apolych ome limes one une a y s ela, da ing back o he 4 h –5 h cen u ies, ca ed in high elie wi h he igu e o aboy sea ed wi hin aniche and holding abunch o g apes in his le hand and ado e in his igh hand (in . 2230) (Donadoni 2000; c . e.g. G enie e al. 1997: ca . 165; Wiese– Win e hal e – B odbeck 2001: ca . 152; Russmann 2009: 58–59; Schneide – Ra en 1981: ca . 251; Gio e i– Picchi 2015: ca . VII.85; Ch is ie’s6/7/1994: lo 123; Ch is ie’s13/05/2003: lo 322). We canno ail o men ion ha among he an iqui ies om he Lucchi ‑Campa i Collec ion, is apolych ome limes one head ha ep oduces ayoung man wi h asha ed head which was mo e p obably o iginally pa o he same ypology o une a y s elae (in . 2427). Among he la es addi ions o he Egyp ian Sec ion, ob ained h ough wo new dona ions, he e a e wo i ems om he Collec ion o he la e P o esso Giampie o Gue eschi. The i s one is aLa e Pe iod (mo e p obably XXVI h dynas y) aience shab i, which was pu chased by Gue eschi in 1957 (in . 2510). The igu e, o slende p opo ions wi h da k g een glaze, is in excellen condi ion apa om asupe icial c ack a ec ing i s lowe po ion. I ep esen s he owne in he usual mummi o m shape, wi h a ec angula base and back pilla no sepa a ed om he ipa i e wig. This alls on he ches in wo bands and lea e he ea s comple ely unco e ed. The ea u es o he ace, p o ided wi h along alse bea d, a e ea ed wi h pa ‑ icula inesse. The hands ha eme ge om he w apping o he bandages a ches heigh , he le being o e he igh , hold he pick on he igh shoulde and he hoe ep esen ed in ligh elie , as well as he co d o asmall seed bag, on he le , cha ac e ized by a igh ly wo en ex u e. On he on o he igu e uns a e ical hie oglyphic insc ip ion, enclosed be ween wo eng a ed lines. The ex , c udely insc ibed, con ains he owne ’sname and he pa onymic: Psam ekdine , son o Ho mes. We ha e iden i ied only one o he shab i bea ing he same name and pa onymic as he one in ques ion. This is an i em kep a he Bos on Museum o Fine A s (in . 72.475), iden ical in size, shape and con en o he insc ip ion o