Almost identical emblems of
Anubis, the jackal god of mummification, were
placed at the western ends of the corridors, one on
each side of the outermost shrine. Each consists of
an
alabaster vessel supporting an upright pole to
which an imitation of a headless inflated
animal skin is attached by the tail, tipped with
a papyrus flower. The pole, representing a lotus
stem and bud, and the skin are made of wood coated
with plaster and gilded. In very remote times it was
the fetish of a god named "He who is in his
wrappings" (Imuit), who was later assimilated with
Anubis. A much earlier example with a real animal
skin stuffed and wrapped in bandages was found by
the Metropolitan Museum expedition at
Lisht.