Re and Mehen: throw cushion

According to ancient Egyptian mythology, the sun-god Re spent the night travelling through the underworld in his barge, fighting the great serpent Apophis and regenerating from old age back into youth in preparation for a new day’s travel across the sky.

In this detail from an ancient Egyptian papyrus, we see Re with a ram’s head, travelling through the 12th hour of the Amduat. He’s protected by the serpent Mehen, who encircles him and protects him from harm in the underworld.

And now you can show off your Egyptology geekery by relaxing with this gorgeous throw cushion.

These soft, yet hard-wearing, 33 × 48 cm cushions are made from faux suede and each one is individually cut and sewn by hand. The design is printed on the front, with a stone-colour back.

Own a piece of artwork from the walls of the Tate Liverpool! This photo was featured in the Garstang’s Tate Exchange Workshop in December 2017; an exhibition centered around the surrealism of the ancient Egyptian afterlife.

The photo on this cushion comes from the Amduat of the lady Tjawtayundenit now in the collection at the the Garstang Museum of Archaeology in Liverpool. Tjawtayundenit was a songstress of Amun-Re, who lived in Egypt during the 21st Dynasty (1069–945 BC). The papyrus was photographed with a macro lens, to bring out as much detail as possible, and is an exclusive design you won’t find elsewhere.