Designer: P.T. Selbit
Selbit created the Mummy Mystery around 1925 and performed it at the 19th Grand Seance of the Magic Circle at St. George's Hall on Monday April 6th, 1925. The following is a description written by H.H. Denham for The Magic Circular:
[...] the scene was set for "The Mummy Mystery", the principal object being a sarcophagus in which an Indian Princess was reputed to have been punished. A lady assistant entered the coffin and the cover was put on. Various weapons and instruments of torture were passed through the sarcophagus, piercing every conceivable part of the structure. Notwithstanding the limited space and the restricted conditions, the lady passed the terrible ordeal unscathed. Mr. Selbit goes from strength to strength: in this illusion he achieved the apparently impossible.
The weapons mentioned included 30 steel blades as well as 12 metal rods. P.T. Selbit: Magical Innovator mentions the discrepancy between an Indian Princess and an Egyptian sarcophagus and explains it may have been due to a hasty preparation or even a confused reporter.
The illusion was short-lived namely due to the fact that removing 42 instruments was not an easy way to maintain audience interest.