Contents of the Coffin of the Servant of the Great Place, Teti

967-837 B.C.E or 997-821 B.C.E.

Among the greatest desires of New Kingdom Egyptians was a proper burial. This coffin was made for the artisan Teti, a “Servant of the Great Place” who painted tombs in the Valley of the Kings. He paid nearly a year’s salary for a coffin of this quality. Five different paint colors decorate the coffin: blue, yellow, red, black, and white. Each color added to the cost. The yellow background paint with red streaks is used to imitate the gilded coffins of the wealthy.