The Triple Mummy Case of Aroeri-Ao, an Egyptian Priest, in Dr. Lee's Museum at Hartwell House, Buckinghamshire. Drawn by Joseph Bonomi and Described by Samuel Sharpe: Published by the Siro-Egyptian Society of London SHARPE, Samuel, and Joseph BONOMI

INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR JOSEPH BONOMI AND DEDICATED TO THE EARLY EGYPTOLOGIST ROBERT HAY. ILLUSTRATED WITH STUNNING LITHOGRAPHED PLATES, SOME COLOURED, DRAWN BY BONOMI. FIRST and ONLY EDITION. Folio. 27, [1] p. 8 double col. pl. 30 x 25 cm. Inscribed by Bonomi and dedicated to the early egyptologist Hay: "Robert Hay Esq / with Joseph Bonomi's Respects / London March 6 1861." Ex-library copy with stamp on upper pastedown and verso of t-p, and printed bookplate to upper pastedown. Bound in the publisher's original pasteboard covers and cloth. A very good copy. Exceedingly scarce. "This mommy had originally belonged to Pettigrew himself, and it was enclosed in a cartonnage case within three coffins, the two inner ones being of anthropoid shape, the outermost a rectangular sarcophagus with a vaulted cover. Salt sent this 'Lot' to England several years before his death and Pettigrew bought it from Salt's London agent. Bingham Richards of Lamb's Conduit Place. Owing to its perfect condition Pettigrew did not unroll it, but, after keeping it and its cases in his house for some years, he sold the whole to Dr. John Lee for his museum at Hartwell House, where it became one of the most prominent exhibits. In 1837, however, Lee, whose interest had been much stimulated by Pettigrew's mummy-demonstrations, decided that the mummy ought to be unrolled and sent the body to London, but he retained the cartonnage case and three coffins. These cases were lithographed by Joseph Bonomi and published with descriptive letterpress by Samuel Sharpe in 1858. They remained in Lee's possession till his death (in 1866), when they were acquired, together with the rest of Lee's museum, by the late Lord Amherst of Hackney. They were sold once more in 1921 when the Amherst Collection was dispersed at Sotheby's (Lot 352). The mummy was unrolled in the lecture-theatre of the Royal Institution on Friday, May 27, 1836, in the presence of a crowded and distinguished audience, Lord Purdhoe being in the chair." (Warren R. Dawson, Pettigrew's Demonstrations upon Mummies. A Chapter in the History of Egyptology, in "The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology," Vol. 20, No. 3/4 (Nov., 1934), pp. 170-182) "Mr. Bonomi described this valuable case, or rather cases, which were sent to England, by Mr. Salt, and are now in the possession of Dr. Lee, at Hartwell. Mr. Pettigrew unrolled the mummy contained in the innermost case at the Royal Institution in 1836. The name of the embalmed man was at that time read as Asiriao. Mr. Sharpe described the various pictures and writings in the different cases, confining himself, however, more particularly to those on the arched top of the outer case. Among the more interesting pictures was one of a boat, in which Horus Ra is seated, steered by Horus the son of Isis, and pushed forward by the deceased priest. In another, the blue vault of heaven is represented by the goddess Neith, while beneath is the deceased with two bodies. His earthly body is red, and is in the act of falling to the ground; whilst his spiritual or heavenly body is blue, and stands upright, raising his hands to heaven. In this interesting way did the Egyptians express in a picture their belief in the immortality of the soul. It is remarkable that the mummy-case of the grandfather of Aroeri-ao, who appears to have been an eminent member of the priesthood, and to have belonged to a family of wealth and distinction, is in the Museum of the College of Surgeons of London" (Henry Burgess (ed.), The Journal of Sacred Literature, Volume 9, London 1859, p. 221). The dedicatee Robert Hay (1799-1863) was a Scottish explorer, antiquarian, and early Egyptologist. Born at Duns Castle in Berwickshire into a well-established Scottish family, he joined the Royal Navy at the age of 13, thus following a family tradition of service in the armed forces. Navy service brought him to Alexandria in 1818 and this visit, coupled with reading Belzoni's works, inspired him to return to Egypt and travel.