Hapshetsut Nebet: Ummmm...a Ptolemaic dog biscuit? Perhaps not...
1. What is this item called?
It's a hypocephalus.

2. Name the owner of this item.
Neshorpakhered

3. What was the profession of the owner?
Ol' Nesh was a temple musician OR a Theban priestess (both?)

4. What is the probable provenance of this item?
From Thebes, currently in the collection of the British Museum.

5. From which period does the item belong?
Ptolemaic Period, c. 4th to 3rd centuries BCE

6. What was the function of this item?
Hypocephali were magic circular objects meant to be placed beneath the head of a mummy to prevent the deceased from having his head taken away....they had other functions and these are mentioned below.

7. From what is the item made?
Linen stiffened with plaster – earliest examples of hypocephali appeared around 600 BCE and were originally made from papyrus mounted on cartonnage. They were inscribed with magic 'formulae' and hieroglyphic inscriptions ran around the edge of the object.

According to Geraldine Pinch, this had something to do with the idea of the dead as sleepers – and so bedroom furniture was used such as the headrest. In time, these headrests must have been simplified to the hypocephali although perhaps both were used though I'd say that's unlikely...then again I may well be wrong ;) These were decorated with figures of beings such as Bes or Taweret 'to protect the sleeper against snakes, scorpions, bad dreams and supernatural visitors. . .The head of the dead rested on circular pieces of leather in the late 1st millenium. . .inscribed with protective, live-giving spells.' They were decorated with composite deities. As well as protecting the dead, they were thought to bring them light and warmth.

Sources:
Info from Compass, a section of the British Museum
Image stolen from Seme's post in the Ancient Egyptian Trivia thread
Magic in Ancient Egypt by Geraldine Pinch, University of Texas Press, Austin, publ. by the British Museum.

Oh, by the way...try again *g*