This paper traces the early museum biographies of three Egyptian mummies –Dismutenibtes, Padiamenet, and Osirmose – excavated from a shared family tomb, from their initial acquisition by the 19th-century merchant Giovanni Anastasi to their eventual placement in four European museum collections.
Divided into two parts, the first examines Anastasi’s pivotal role in setting each mummy on a unique path through auctions and personal connections, ultimately dispersing them across four collections in Norway, Britain, and Belgium.
The second part explores the initial reception and acquisition practices within each museum, highlighting differences in how early European institutions approached Egyptian mummies.
This presentation reflects on the information both lost and gained through these varied paths and treatments, shedding light on the distinct methodologies employed by each museum at the start of the mummies' museum biographies.