An Undertaker's Collar ?

This 2,300-year-old collar, which was worn by a mummy, was discovered in fragments in a tomb in Thebes. The falcons in the top corners signify the god Horus, while the "Ba-bird" at top center represents the immortal soul of the deceased mummy [Credit: Susan Redford] Reassembled after 2300 years, this beautifully decorated collar was found in fragments in an Egyptian tomb in Thebes.

Called “wesekhs,” they were made of beads and worn by people in ancient Egypt while alive. The painted “cartonnage” collars were worn by the mummy only after death.

The tomb became crowded through the years, as more mummies found homes there, a common occurrence with possible economic motives

An inscription written in a mud-clay seal near the collar says that it was made for a man named "Padihorwer."

The translation reads he was "privy to the mysteries and god's sealer, 'embalmer,' scribe, prophet of the 'desert' (necropolis) of Qus," which is located north of Thebes.

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