Embalmer's Swab

Embalmer's Swab

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Discovered in a cache of embalming eqiupment in the Theban necropolis, this swab consists of a palm stick with a wad of linen textile twisted around one end. The rag is oily and caked with natron, and was very likely used during the embalming process.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Embalmer's SwabEmbalmer's SwabEmbalmer's SwabEmbalmer's SwabEmbalmer's Swab

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.