Ba-bird. The ba is similar to our idea of personality. the dead person had to leave the tomb to join with his ka, or soul if he was to become an everlasting spirit. As the actual body could not leave the tomb, the ba had to do this. The ba was shown as a bird, usually with a human head.

Ba bird, nose damaged. The item is wood covered with a black layer. The base is 50mm long and the artefact 80mm high. There is a dowel in the base. Examples of ba-bird statues appear in the New Kingdom but are much more common in the mid-late 1st millennium BC. Many have holes with broken dowel fragments in the base suggesting that they were attached to shrines, stela or coffins.

Collection

Egypt Centre, University of Swansea

Inventory Number

3543574

Title

Ba-bird. The ba is similar to our idea of personality. the dead person had to leave the tomb to join with his ka, or soul if he was to become an everlasting spirit. As the actual body could not leave the tomb, the ba had to do this. The ba was shown as a bird, usually with a human head.

Object Type

Image

Measurements

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