Spatialization and interaction between papyrus and coffins in the ensemble of Padiamun

During the 21st Dynasty, the motifs on coffins and papyri sometimes share a common repertoire. However, the way in which the iconotextual program is deployed is constrained by the medium – two- or three-dimensional. This results in very different mappings of the conceptions it expresses. The ensemble of Padiamun (Bab el-Gasus, Daressy A. 114) is illuminating in this respect. His papyrus (Cairo, SR VII 10654) employs several motifs typical of the decoration of certain parts of the coffins, thus referring to a precise three-dimensional spatialization. Within this suggested space, the papyrus’ apparent linearity suggests a path – from the outside of the coffins, on the right side of the manuscript, to the inside, on the left side. This reading axis is enriched by the composite character of the papyrus, which juxtaposes the characteristics of a Book of the Dead on the left and, on the right, an ‘Amduat’. Its positioning between the mummy’s legs correspond to this last type of book. When placed in the overall ensemble of Padiamun, this device makes explicit the principles that governed the design of the funerary equipment. The burial furniture, the coffin embodies the space of the Duat in which the body is surrounded by the gods of the Amduat (jmy-Dwȝ.t), while the outer walls illustrate the emergence from this space by the Going out in Daylight (pr.t m hrw). The depiction of the East and West inside the coffin’s case emphasizes this spatial aspect. Comparison with related objects, such as those of Khonsuemrenep (Cairo, SR VII 11501, Daressy A. 120), highlights the uniqueness of each layout. Thus, this case study illustrates the flexibility of the spatial grammar of the iconotextual programme, capable of adapting to the different objects of the funerary furniture to integrate them into a unified discourse.