Cartouche Box:
Of the dozens of wooden boxes and chests of various sizes buried in the tomb, none escaped ransacking by the grave robbers in antiquity. Containing everything from linens and sandals to trinkets and cosmetics, 4 of these boxes were designed in the shape of a royal cartouche, representing a knotted loop of rope (a symbol of eternity) encircling the name of an exalted figure. The cartouche applied in ebony and ivory on the gilded wooden lid of this jewelry box signifies the pharaoh's nomen and titular: Tutankhamun, Ruler of Heliopolis of upper Egypt. As with most of his coffers, the box was originally secured with a cord which was wound around the 2 adjacent knobs and stamped with a seal. Hastily repacked by the necropolis staff after the ancient robbery, it was believed by Howard Carter to have once held some of the pharaoh's sacred coronation regalia. Found in the Treasury, the case contained a number of pieces of jewelry including a pair of large gold earrings, ornaments typically abandoned by young princes upon reaching manhood.
Alabaster Flask:
The traditional art of carving fine stone vessels, which declined after the Old Kingdom, enjoyed a revival during the 18th Dynasty. Whereas the opulent sepulchers of other pharaoh's included thousands of such vessels, Tutankhamun's burial in an unfinished, borrowed tomb was comparatively humble. Among the 80 vessels entombed with hi, 2 elegant vases of this rare, elongated style (found in the Annex) were distinguished by their utter simplicity. Although they did retain residual traces of their long vanished contents, these proved unidentifiable. Made of the finest native alabaster (calcite), this lovely flask was decorated with bands of inlaid faience lotus petals representing the festive garlands customarily strung around pottery wine vessels at royal banquets and celebrations.
Alabaster Wedding Chest:
In the Antechamber, this exquisite coffer was found lying open with its treasured personal contents undisturbed. Carved from a single block of calcite, it was engraved with the cartouches of both the pharaoh and the Great Royal Wife along with wishes for eternal life and fruitfulness. Inside the chest, wrapped in linen, were 2 balls of hair thought by Howard Carter to signify the royal marriage contract between the young Tutankhamun and his half-sister Ankhesenamun, which ensured his accession to the throne.
Papyrus Vignette of Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun:
Portrayed early in their reign, the young pharaoh and his wife are strolling in an arbor of floral columns. Her gesture of lovingly offering him bouquets of papyrus and lotus decorated with mandrakes (the fruit of love) suggest that it may have been a wedding portrait.
Golden Ankh:
Part of the pharaoh's ceremonial regalia was this gilded wooden ankh, the hieroglyphic symbol for life. Ancient in Tutankhamun's time, the ankh was represented in the form of a sandal, the archaic word for which was similar in pronunciation. When held in the pharaoh's hand in the presence of his subjects, this traditional amulet would have identified him with Horus, the sun god.
The Golden Throne and Ceremonial Footrest:
Majestically flanked by 2 leonine heads (representing the sacred mountains of the eastern and western horizons) and with armrests of winged uraeus serpents wearing the pschent double crown, the pharaoh's marvelous golden throne was found in the Antechamber underneath one of the bestial couches. Before it lays the sovereign's ceremonial footrest of inlaid wood, decorated with representations of the chieftains of conquered enemy lands who are “under his feet.” The feline legs were originally joined by an ornamental grille of solid gold, fashioned in the heraldic sma-tawy motif of intertwined lotus and papyrus (the age-old emblem of the union of Upper and Lower Egypt), which was torn away in antiquity by the grave robbers. Cartouches on the armrests bear Tutankhamun's name in its earlier form, Tutankhaton, suggesting that it may have been his coronation throne.
Royal Scepter:
Among the pharaoh's awesome ceremonial regalia was this precious insignia of his supreme authority, the Aba (“the commander”), fashioned on a wooden core overlaid with beaten sheet gold and decorated with cloisonné inlay of faience, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and carnelian. Ritual offerings were consecrated by the touch of this scepter, which symbolically imparted its sacred essence. It was found in the Annex where the grave robbers of antiquity apparently left it after removing it from the treasury. The staff represents a flowering papyrus stem surmounted by a blade embossed on one face with 5 sacrificial bulls in repousse, the other face bearing the inscription: The benevolent God, the beloved, dazzling of face like the Aton when he shines, son of Amun, Nebkheprure, living forever. Nebkheprure (“The Royal Manifestation of Re”) was the pharaoh's prenomen, or coronation name. The hieroglyphic inscription on the scepter, as Howard Carter noted with interest, “suggests a compromise between the Aton and the Amun creeds.”
The Crook and Flail:
Sacred emblems of the god Osiris, the heqa scepter and nekhakha, also known as the crook and flail, symbolized the divinity of the pharaohs and were a crucial part of their ceremonial regalia. Found in the Treasury along with a smaller pair suitable for a child to carry, they are the only surviving examples of this classic Pharaonic equipment so widely depicted in paintings and sculptures. The staffs are made of heavy bronze covered with alternating sleeves of blue glass and gold, while the beads of the flail were wooden. Traditionally crossed over the chest when held, they appear to represent the ruler as a shepherd whose beneficence is formidably tempered with might.
Ebony Child's Chair:
Of similar design to that of the golden throne, this small, uninscribed chair was found in the Antechamber. Elegantly constructed of African ebony joined with gold capped rivets and decorated with ivory inlay and gilt side panels depicting a pair of ibexes, it had a curved seat and short, feline legs. A typical piece of 18th Dynasty furniture, its presence I the pharaoh's tomb suggests that it was made for Tutankhamun as a child.
Royal Sailing Vessel:
Typical of royal burials, the pharaoh's tomb included a fleet of 35 model boats associated with his mystic pilgrimages in the afterlife and representing both practical and ceremonial vessels, the finest of which were found in the Treasury. This picturesque sailboat appears to be a funerary model of the majestic craft that carried the pharaoh up and down the Nile.
Royal Barge:
Lacking oars and a sail, this delightful wooden model is probably a likeness of a ceremonial barge, traditionally reserved for festivals and ritual events in which fleets of such boats were towed in royal processions, usually carrying exalted passengers.
Pommel Statuette of Tutankhamun:
Inheriting a kingdom left in political turmoil by his heretic predecessors, the little pharaoh was vulnerable to manipulation by the very factions that his father Akhenaton had so ambitiously overthrown. With Tutankhamun's accession, the priesthood of Amun was quickly reestablished and the royal capitol was returned to Thebes, signaling the close of the Amarna experiment. A puppet ruler from the time of his boyhood, if the pharaoh, like his heretic father before him, developed a will of his own as he matured, it may have cost him his life.
Statue of Tutankhamun with a Harpoon:
Wearing the red deshret crown of Lower Egypt, Tutankhamun is ritually depicted in this gilded hardwood statue as the god Horus, standing on a papyrus raft with his arm upraised to harpoon the evil, scheming god Seth in the form of an invisible hippopotamus (an image considered too dangerous for inclusion in the tomb). Discovered in the Treasury as a pair, sealed together inside a black wooden shrine and draped in linen shawls dating from the 3rd year of Akhenaton's reign, the statues may have been left over from a prior burial and reworked for Tutankhamun's. Sculpted in the graceful, animated Amarna style, the pharaoh is dressed in a pleated kilt with sandals and a beaded collar. In his left hand he holds a symbolic coil of rope for hauling in his prey. The statue is an allegorical representation of the innocence vanquishing evil in the form of the swamp demon. In actuality Tutankhamun's foes may have included his revered vizier and trusted Master of Horse, the “Divine Father” Ay. Father of the late Queen Nefertiti and the brother of the late Queen Tiye (Akhenaton's Nubian mother), Ay was the grandfather of Ankhesenamun, whose useful marriage to the pharaoh (his grandnephew) he probably arranged.
Golden State Chariot:
Constructed of bent wood and leather to be both sturdy and lightweight, the chariot was introduced to the Egyptians by the Asiatic Hyksosduring the early 18th Dynasty. Overlaid with gold foil and decorated with cloisonné inlay, 3 magnificent ceremonial state chariots were found tangled together in the Antechamber along with the first of the pharaoh's 3 undecorated hunting chariots, the rest of which were found in the Treasury. All were dismantled and their axles swan in half to accommodate the narrow corridor leading into the tomb. Among the most splendid and sophisticated examples of an ancient vehicle, this lavish ceremonial chariot was reserved for state parades and royal processions. Its decorated inner panels are covered with gilded reliefs depicting bound Asian and Nubian captives and the elaborate wheels of strong, imported elm were originally fitted with rawhide tires. From its first appearance in Egypt in the 16 Century B.C., the chariot was associated with the majesty of the pharaoh.
Golden Perfume Flask:
Surmounted by a tall, plumbed lid embellished with cloisonné work, this ornate flask was fashioned in the form of a double cartouche enclosing images of the pharaoh himself rather than his name. According to Howard Carter the ritual object (made of gold plated wood inlaid with glass, turquoise, red jasper, and quartz) was found in the Burial Chamber within the sarcophagus, although it now appears to have been discovered inside the doorway of the outermost shrine. Traces of residue in the 2 separate chambers confirmed that it was used as a container for unguents. Reliefs illustrating flasks of this design as offerings to the divine solar globe from the hands of the pharaoh Akhenaton (Tutankhamun's father) suggest its sacred function. On one face Tutankhamun is portrayed wearing the traditional pleated side lock of a young prince, while on the opposite face he is represented as pharaoh wearing the blue khepresh crown, his head traditionally inlaid in black, a skin color associated with the gods and regeneration as well as with the Nubian ancestors of the Amarnan royal family. The sides of the flask are decorated with identical images of Heh, the god of infinity, incorporated into multiple representations of the pharaoh's throne name along with customary wish for his reign to last for 100,000 years times infinity. The different images within the cartouches reveal Tutankhamun's progression from royal prince to immortal pharaoh.
Of the dozens of wooden boxes and chests of various sizes buried in the tomb, none escaped ransacking by the grave robbers in antiquity. Containing everything from linens and sandals to trinkets and cosmetics, 4 of these boxes were designed in the shape of a royal cartouche, representing a knotted loop of rope (a symbol of eternity) encircling the name of an exalted figure. The cartouche applied in ebony and ivory on the gilded wooden lid of this jewelry box signifies the pharaoh's nomen and titular: Tutankhamun, Ruler of Heliopolis of upper Egypt. As with most of his coffers, the box was originally secured with a cord which was wound around the 2 adjacent knobs and stamped with a seal. Hastily repacked by the necropolis staff after the ancient robbery, it was believed by Howard Carter to have once held some of the pharaoh's sacred coronation regalia. Found in the Treasury, the case contained a number of pieces of jewelry including a pair of large gold earrings, ornaments typically abandoned by young princes upon reaching manhood.
Alabaster Flask:
The traditional art of carving fine stone vessels, which declined after the Old Kingdom, enjoyed a revival during the 18th Dynasty. Whereas the opulent sepulchers of other pharaoh's included thousands of such vessels, Tutankhamun's burial in an unfinished, borrowed tomb was comparatively humble. Among the 80 vessels entombed with hi, 2 elegant vases of this rare, elongated style (found in the Annex) were distinguished by their utter simplicity. Although they did retain residual traces of their long vanished contents, these proved unidentifiable. Made of the finest native alabaster (calcite), this lovely flask was decorated with bands of inlaid faience lotus petals representing the festive garlands customarily strung around pottery wine vessels at royal banquets and celebrations.
Alabaster Wedding Chest:
In the Antechamber, this exquisite coffer was found lying open with its treasured personal contents undisturbed. Carved from a single block of calcite, it was engraved with the cartouches of both the pharaoh and the Great Royal Wife along with wishes for eternal life and fruitfulness. Inside the chest, wrapped in linen, were 2 balls of hair thought by Howard Carter to signify the royal marriage contract between the young Tutankhamun and his half-sister Ankhesenamun, which ensured his accession to the throne.
Papyrus Vignette of Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun:
Portrayed early in their reign, the young pharaoh and his wife are strolling in an arbor of floral columns. Her gesture of lovingly offering him bouquets of papyrus and lotus decorated with mandrakes (the fruit of love) suggest that it may have been a wedding portrait.
Golden Ankh:
Part of the pharaoh's ceremonial regalia was this gilded wooden ankh, the hieroglyphic symbol for life. Ancient in Tutankhamun's time, the ankh was represented in the form of a sandal, the archaic word for which was similar in pronunciation. When held in the pharaoh's hand in the presence of his subjects, this traditional amulet would have identified him with Horus, the sun god.
The Golden Throne and Ceremonial Footrest:
Majestically flanked by 2 leonine heads (representing the sacred mountains of the eastern and western horizons) and with armrests of winged uraeus serpents wearing the pschent double crown, the pharaoh's marvelous golden throne was found in the Antechamber underneath one of the bestial couches. Before it lays the sovereign's ceremonial footrest of inlaid wood, decorated with representations of the chieftains of conquered enemy lands who are “under his feet.” The feline legs were originally joined by an ornamental grille of solid gold, fashioned in the heraldic sma-tawy motif of intertwined lotus and papyrus (the age-old emblem of the union of Upper and Lower Egypt), which was torn away in antiquity by the grave robbers. Cartouches on the armrests bear Tutankhamun's name in its earlier form, Tutankhaton, suggesting that it may have been his coronation throne.
Royal Scepter:
Among the pharaoh's awesome ceremonial regalia was this precious insignia of his supreme authority, the Aba (“the commander”), fashioned on a wooden core overlaid with beaten sheet gold and decorated with cloisonné inlay of faience, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and carnelian. Ritual offerings were consecrated by the touch of this scepter, which symbolically imparted its sacred essence. It was found in the Annex where the grave robbers of antiquity apparently left it after removing it from the treasury. The staff represents a flowering papyrus stem surmounted by a blade embossed on one face with 5 sacrificial bulls in repousse, the other face bearing the inscription: The benevolent God, the beloved, dazzling of face like the Aton when he shines, son of Amun, Nebkheprure, living forever. Nebkheprure (“The Royal Manifestation of Re”) was the pharaoh's prenomen, or coronation name. The hieroglyphic inscription on the scepter, as Howard Carter noted with interest, “suggests a compromise between the Aton and the Amun creeds.”
Sacred emblems of the god Osiris, the heqa scepter and nekhakha, also known as the crook and flail, symbolized the divinity of the pharaohs and were a crucial part of their ceremonial regalia. Found in the Treasury along with a smaller pair suitable for a child to carry, they are the only surviving examples of this classic Pharaonic equipment so widely depicted in paintings and sculptures. The staffs are made of heavy bronze covered with alternating sleeves of blue glass and gold, while the beads of the flail were wooden. Traditionally crossed over the chest when held, they appear to represent the ruler as a shepherd whose beneficence is formidably tempered with might.
Ebony Child's Chair:
Of similar design to that of the golden throne, this small, uninscribed chair was found in the Antechamber. Elegantly constructed of African ebony joined with gold capped rivets and decorated with ivory inlay and gilt side panels depicting a pair of ibexes, it had a curved seat and short, feline legs. A typical piece of 18th Dynasty furniture, its presence I the pharaoh's tomb suggests that it was made for Tutankhamun as a child.
Royal Sailing Vessel:
Typical of royal burials, the pharaoh's tomb included a fleet of 35 model boats associated with his mystic pilgrimages in the afterlife and representing both practical and ceremonial vessels, the finest of which were found in the Treasury. This picturesque sailboat appears to be a funerary model of the majestic craft that carried the pharaoh up and down the Nile.
Royal Barge:
Lacking oars and a sail, this delightful wooden model is probably a likeness of a ceremonial barge, traditionally reserved for festivals and ritual events in which fleets of such boats were towed in royal processions, usually carrying exalted passengers.
Pommel Statuette of Tutankhamun:
Inheriting a kingdom left in political turmoil by his heretic predecessors, the little pharaoh was vulnerable to manipulation by the very factions that his father Akhenaton had so ambitiously overthrown. With Tutankhamun's accession, the priesthood of Amun was quickly reestablished and the royal capitol was returned to Thebes, signaling the close of the Amarna experiment. A puppet ruler from the time of his boyhood, if the pharaoh, like his heretic father before him, developed a will of his own as he matured, it may have cost him his life.
Statue of Tutankhamun with a Harpoon:
Wearing the red deshret crown of Lower Egypt, Tutankhamun is ritually depicted in this gilded hardwood statue as the god Horus, standing on a papyrus raft with his arm upraised to harpoon the evil, scheming god Seth in the form of an invisible hippopotamus (an image considered too dangerous for inclusion in the tomb). Discovered in the Treasury as a pair, sealed together inside a black wooden shrine and draped in linen shawls dating from the 3rd year of Akhenaton's reign, the statues may have been left over from a prior burial and reworked for Tutankhamun's. Sculpted in the graceful, animated Amarna style, the pharaoh is dressed in a pleated kilt with sandals and a beaded collar. In his left hand he holds a symbolic coil of rope for hauling in his prey. The statue is an allegorical representation of the innocence vanquishing evil in the form of the swamp demon. In actuality Tutankhamun's foes may have included his revered vizier and trusted Master of Horse, the “Divine Father” Ay. Father of the late Queen Nefertiti and the brother of the late Queen Tiye (Akhenaton's Nubian mother), Ay was the grandfather of Ankhesenamun, whose useful marriage to the pharaoh (his grandnephew) he probably arranged.
Golden State Chariot:
Constructed of bent wood and leather to be both sturdy and lightweight, the chariot was introduced to the Egyptians by the Asiatic Hyksosduring the early 18th Dynasty. Overlaid with gold foil and decorated with cloisonné inlay, 3 magnificent ceremonial state chariots were found tangled together in the Antechamber along with the first of the pharaoh's 3 undecorated hunting chariots, the rest of which were found in the Treasury. All were dismantled and their axles swan in half to accommodate the narrow corridor leading into the tomb. Among the most splendid and sophisticated examples of an ancient vehicle, this lavish ceremonial chariot was reserved for state parades and royal processions. Its decorated inner panels are covered with gilded reliefs depicting bound Asian and Nubian captives and the elaborate wheels of strong, imported elm were originally fitted with rawhide tires. From its first appearance in Egypt in the 16 Century B.C., the chariot was associated with the majesty of the pharaoh.
Golden Perfume Flask:
Surmounted by a tall, plumbed lid embellished with cloisonné work, this ornate flask was fashioned in the form of a double cartouche enclosing images of the pharaoh himself rather than his name. According to Howard Carter the ritual object (made of gold plated wood inlaid with glass, turquoise, red jasper, and quartz) was found in the Burial Chamber within the sarcophagus, although it now appears to have been discovered inside the doorway of the outermost shrine. Traces of residue in the 2 separate chambers confirmed that it was used as a container for unguents. Reliefs illustrating flasks of this design as offerings to the divine solar globe from the hands of the pharaoh Akhenaton (Tutankhamun's father) suggest its sacred function. On one face Tutankhamun is portrayed wearing the traditional pleated side lock of a young prince, while on the opposite face he is represented as pharaoh wearing the blue khepresh crown, his head traditionally inlaid in black, a skin color associated with the gods and regeneration as well as with the Nubian ancestors of the Amarnan royal family. The sides of the flask are decorated with identical images of Heh, the god of infinity, incorporated into multiple representations of the pharaoh's throne name along with customary wish for his reign to last for 100,000 years times infinity. The different images within the cartouches reveal Tutankhamun's progression from royal prince to immortal pharaoh.