Meresamun

Meresamun in profile, shown without hair to reveal the contour of her skull

Getting By On Her Looks 2009

For months, she has since been the immensely popular subject of the Oriental Institute Museum's exhibition, The Life of Meresamun: A Temple Singer in Ancient Egypt.

Getting By On Her Looks 2009

Upon her arrival from Egypt, Meresamun was displayed in Haskell Oriental Museum, the predecessor to today's Oriental Institute Museum, which opened at its current location in 1931.

How an Egyptian Mummy Winds Up in Chicago 2009

Mike Vannier, the radiologist who examined Meresamun, agrees.

Getting By On Her Looks 2009

Meresamun was purchased in 1920 by University of Chicago archaeologist and historian James Henry Breasted (1865-1935), a seminal figure in Egyptology, Near Eastern studies, and museology.

How an Egyptian Mummy Winds Up in Chicago 2009

Meresamun has been on display at the University of Chicago ever since.

How an Egyptian Mummy Winds Up in Chicago 2009

Meresamun was presumably spared the same fate because of her exquisitely painted coffin, also made of linen and plaster.

How an Egyptian Mummy Winds Up in Chicago 2009

This 1922 photo shows Meresamun on display at left near the corner of the room, along with other important objects Breasted purchased during the same 1919-1920 trip.

How an Egyptian Mummy Winds Up in Chicago 2009

Breasted purchased Meresamun from a dealer in 1920 along with a second item for a total of 330 Egyptian pounds — about $1,650 at the time (almost $17,000 in today's dollars).

How an Egyptian Mummy Winds Up in Chicago 2009

"I was delighted to have two very different techniques," says Emily Teeter, an Egyptologist at the Oriental Institute Museum and curator of the Meresamun exhibition.

Getting By On Her Looks 2009