Secrets of the Tomb
Head of Tutankhamun (replica)
- Original made of granite
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
The original Boy-King head was found in the temple of Karnak. This sanctuary to the god Amun was restored by Tutankhamun after several years of abandonment and neglect during the kingdom of his father, the heretic pharaoh, Akhenaten.
Unfinished bust of Nefertiti (replica)
- Original made of quartzite
- 18th dynasty (1340 BCE)
- Original piece at Egyptian Museum in Cairo
The original bust of Queen Nefertiti was found inside the workshop of the sculptor Thutmose in the city of Akhetaten (el-Amarna). Not far from it there was the famous Nefertiti bust, which nowadays can be found in the Neues Museum in Berlin.
Head of Nefertem (replica)
- Original made of wood, coated in stucco and polychrome paint
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
The original head of Tutankhamun as the god Nefertum coming out of a lotus flower was uncovered in the antechamber of the tomb. The lotus represented being born again to life, since the lotus flower opens its petals at dawn, with the first rays of the sun.
Wishing cup (replica)
- Original made of polychrome calcite
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
This cup was discovered in the antechamber of the tomb. It takes the shape of a lotus flower, a symbol of eternal life. On the rim we can read the following inscription: 'May your spirit live, may you spend millions of years, you who love Thebes, sitting with your face to the north wind, your eyes beholding happiness.'
Reclining gazelle (replica)
- Original made of polychrome calcite
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
The original piece was discovered in the funerary chamber of Tutankhamun's tomb. It portrays a gazelle showing its tongue, a characteristic depicted in many of the sculptures of mammals from Pharaonic times and whose meaning is still a mystery.
Shabti of Tutankhamun (replica)
- Original made of clay
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
Tutankhamun was buried with a group of over 400 shabtis. This is a replica of one of the simplest ones, but also one of the most beautiful. Its inscription bears the name of Tutankhamun as the son of Ra, thus being identified with Osiris.
Head of a princess of Amarna (replica)
- Original made of limestone
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at the Louvre Museum, Paris
We do not know who Tutankhamun's real parents were, although it is very likely that they were Akhenaton and Nefertiti, or a secondary wife named Kiya. In any case, Akhenaton's daughters were half-sisters of Tutankhamun, and this figure represents one of them.
The King on the catafalque (replica)
- Original made of wood
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
Tutankhamun on a catafalque is escorted by the falcon-headed god Horus and the ba, the spirit form of the deceased, a bird with a human body. In the hieroglyphs on the side of the catafalque we read the name of the donor, Maya, Chief of the Treasury.
Hes vase (replica)
- Original made of faience
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
Vases of this type were very common in the 18th Dynasty. We do not know the purpose for which they were made, but there is no doubt that they contained some kind of precious liquid. On the front we can read, "The Great God, Lord of the Two Lands, Nebkheperura, given life".
Head of Queen Kiya (replica)
- Original made of calcite
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
In a tomb close to Tutankhamun's tomb, KV55, a mysterious burial was discovered in 1907, containing the remains of several members of the Boy King's family. This canopic vase lid may have belonged to Queen Kiya, wife of Akhenaten and, according to some researchers, Tutankhamun's mother.
Shabti of Kedet (replica)
- Original made of limestone
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Archaeological Collection, University of Zürich
The shabtis were funerary figures who substituted for the deceased in the world of Osiris to perform any kind of manual work. During the reign of Akhenaton, Tutankhamun's supposed father, the text was dedicated to the solar cult of the god Aten, the divinity that the so-called Heretic Pharaoh, Akhenaton, established as the state religion.
The Golden Throne
Throne of Tutankhamun (replica)
- Original made of wood with sheets of gold, silver, and vitreous paste
- Grand Egyptian Museum, Cairo
This is the only throne of a pharaoh that has survived to the present day. In the scene on the backrest, we see Tutankhamun seated beside his wife, Ankhesenamun, anointing him with oils. Her garment is made of silver, a metal more valuable in the time of the pharaohs due to its rarity. It was believed that the skin of the gods was made of gold, their bones of silver, and their eyebrows and hair of lapis lazuli. These are the materials we see on the throne, emphasizing the divine nature of the pharaoh.
Treasures of the Boy King
The goddess Selket (replica)
- Original made of wood and gold
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
The chapel protecting the canopic vessels used in the mummification and discovered in the Treasure Chamber was protected on its four sides by Isis and her three sisters, one of whom is Selket. Above her head we see the symbol of the scorpion with which she was identified.
Head of a panther (replica)
- Original made of wood, gold and blue paste
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
In one of the tomb's chests, Carter discovered priest's robes. One of them, in very poor condition, still bore the head of a panther. This is the garment worn by the priests, made of an animal skin in which the original head was replaced by a smaller one.
Headrest of Tutankhamun (replica)
- Original made of turquoise blue glass
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
The headrest is one of the most popular pieces of furniture in Egyptian tombs. It used to be placed with a cushion under the head for sleeping. Today it is still used in Japan and some parts of Africa. In this case it has a gold band on which we see the name of the pharaoh.
Iron dagger of Tutankhamun (replica)
- Original made of iron, gold and crystal
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
Two daggers appeared among the mummy's bandages. One of them was made of iron. The study of the metal showed that it was iron from a meteorite. Other iron objects such as necklace clasps and awl points were also found in the tomb.
Queen Tiyi, Grandmother of Tutankhamun (replica)
- Original made of limestone
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels
This relief has an extraordinary image of the great Royal Wife, Tiyi, the main wife of Amenophis III, Tutankhamun's grandparents. In the tomb of the Boy King some of his grandmother's objects were found, which were probably left there by Tutankhamun himself to reinforce the great bond between him and his grandmother.
Reclining lion (replica)
- Original made of polychrome calcite
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
The original of this container features a lion resting on an unguent vase. It is decorated with several desert hunting scenes, containing similar lions. The original was found between the shrines of the funerary chamber in Tutankhamun's tomb.
God Ptah (replica)
- Original made of wood, gold and blue paste
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
Several small chapels with statues of gods were found in Tutankhamun's tomb. One of them was dedicated to the god Ptah, the god of Memphis, creator of the world through speech. Ptah was the husband of the lion goddess Sekhmet and one of the most important divinities in the Egyptian pantheon.
Commemorative Scarab of Queen Tiyi (replica)
- Original made of faience
- 18th dynasty (1340 BCE)
- Original piece at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Pharaoh Tutankhamun's grandfather, Amenophis III, celebrated his marriage to the Great Royal Wife, Queen Tiyi, with dozens of sacred scarabs. The inscription emphasizes the divine power and royal authority of the king, the legitimate status of the queen, and the extent of royal control over Egypt and foreign territories.
Tutankhamun's Mask
Tutankhamun's funerary mask (replica)
- Original made of gold, lapis lazuli and glass paste
- 18th dynasty (1332 BCE)
- Original piece at Grand Egyptian Museum
Tutankhamun's mask is one of the most emblematic pieces uncovered in his tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The original piece covered the young king's mummy, and it is made of almost 11 kilos worth of gold. The nemes headdress covering his head is decorated with glass paste bands and his eyebrows are made of lapis lazuli.
Documents Howard Carter
The Illustrated London News (facsimile)
- Original in paper and ink
- Saturday, December 16, 1922
The media echoed the sensational discovery. Front pages such as this one in The Illustrated London News were full of photographs and drawings of the excavation taken by tourists and special envoys.
Set of photographs of the treasury (facsimile)
- Original in paper
- 1920s
- Original at the Griffith Institute, Oxford
Harry Burton was an English photographer who worked for the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Carter did not hesitate to contact him to photograph the tomb. His images have become a true classic in the history of archaeology. Although Burton was an archaeologist, he has gone down in history as a photographer.
Plan of the tomb by H. Carter (facsimile)
- Original in paper and ink
- 1920s
- Original at the Griffith Institute, Oxford
Tutankhamun's tomb was small and did not correspond to the standards of the time for a conventional royal tomb. This is why even today there are still doubts about its origin and the existence of hidden chambers.
Drawing of the shrines (facsimile)
- Original in paper and ink
- 1920s
- Original at the Griffith Institute, Oxford
One of the complexities of Tutankhamun's funerary chamber is the position of the shrines and coffins, placed within one another, as perfectly reflected by this drawing made by Walter Hauser and Lindsley Foot Hall, two American artists that worked with Carter.
Howard Carter's diary (facsimile)
- Original in paper and ink
- November 4, 1922
- Original at the Griffith Institute, Oxford
On Saturday, November 4, 1922, Howard Carter wrote a simple sentence in his field diary: 'First step of tomb found'. He was not aware then of what was ahead of him, the biggest archaeological discovery of all time.
Drawing of the mummy thorax by Carter (facsimile)
- Original in paper and ink
- 1920s
- Original at the Griffith Institute, Oxford
Howard Carter never stopped using his extraordinary drawing skills as a tool in his excavation work. This drawing recreates the mummy of the young pharaoh showing the exact position of the amulets and necklaces he wore.
Drawing of a horse by Carter (facsimile)
- Original in paper and ink
- 1920s
- Original at the Griffith Institute, Oxford
Six chariots were found in Tutankhamun's tomb. Some parts were damaged, but many of the decorative elements that the horses must have carried, and which Carter recreated in this beautiful work, could still be reconstructed.
Real Artefacts from Ancient Egypt
Shabti of Reshu
- Faience
- Late Period, 27th to 30th dynasties (525–360 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
Rehsu was a priest of Horus, probably from the Theban region. In the T-shaped inscription that covers his body we can read his name and ancestry: 'May the Osiris Rehsu, priest of Horus, be enlightened. Born of Uadjitemhat, justified'.
Amulet of Horus protecting Harpocrates
- Hard stone with white and grey veins
- Ptolemaic Period (332–30 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
Harpocrates, Ptolemaic god and son of Serapis and Isis, was related to medicine. Here, he is represented under the protection of the falcon god Horus, in a scene that features not just in amulets, but in colossal statues throughout Egyptian history.
Shabti of Maat-Nakht
- Faience
- Saite Period, 26th dynasty (664–525 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
The shabtis were mummy-shaped figurines that represented the deceased. They usually carry agricultural implements in their hands and back, and their function was to replace the deceased in whatever task he was required for in Osiris's realm. He has the sixth chapter of the Book of the Dead engraved on his body.
Funerary stela
- Limestone with traces of red paint
- New Kingdom (1567–1065 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
On the right-hand side of the stela, we can see the offeror before an offering table placed in front of a triad of gods; from left to right, Isis, Horus and Osiris. Each one of them is represented with their characteristic headdress. The name of the offeror appears in the bottom of the stela, but the text is illegible.
Staff with the image of the god Amun-Re
- Bronze
- Late Period / Ptolemaic Period (380–30 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
This staff was used by priests in a particular religious ceremony. The god carries over the head the double feather crown of Amun with Re's solar disk. He walks on a papyrus-shaped capital inside which the stick was inserted.
Amulet of the god Pataikos
- Faience
- Saite Period, 26th dynasty (664–525 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
This god, linked to the god Ptah from Memphis, whom he assisted in the forge, is represented by a dwarf with a prominent belly. It was also a protective deity, so it is very common for it to feature in amulets or figurines.
Sculpture group
- Soapstone
- New Kingdom (1567–1065 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
This type of representation of a husband with his wife, or mother, is typical of the New Kingdom. Their pleated outfits and the lady's sumptuous wig speak of a high-status couple.
Mummy necklace
- Faience tubular beads
- Third Intermediate Period (1069–525 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
This type of necklace is very common in burials belonging to this period. It was placed over the mummy and, occasionally, accompanied by protecting amulets. The thread that strings the blue faience tubular beads was added in modern times.
Set of ritual vases
- Diorite and rock crystal
- Middle Kingdom (2040–1782 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
The Opening of the Mouth ritual, as described in the Book of the Dead, allowed the deceased to come back to their senses in the Afterlife. Here, we have only three pieces of the seven that formed the full set, six vases and a stone or meteoric iron hoe.
Statue of an offering bearer
- Wood with traces of stucco and paint
- Middle Kingdom (2040–1782 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
This type of figurine was very common in Middle Kingdom burials. They depict women carrying baskets full of food on their heads, food that was meant to nurture the soul of the deceased in the Afterlife. The figurine's legs, with the left foot slightly ahead, demonstrate the classical movement of Egyptian art.
Offering table
- Granite
- Middle Kingdom (2040–1782 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
On this offering table, dedicated to Nenaankhes, we have engravings of the food that would nurture the ka, the spirit of the deceased, for eternity: beer jars, loaves of bread, meat, etc. On one end of the table, it features a projecting spout used to drain liquid offerings made to honour the deceased.
Head-rest
- Wood
- New Kingdom (ca. 1550–1000 BCE)
- Galería F. Cervera Arqueología
This type of furniture was used as headrest on a pillow. From a royal perspective, it was a symbol of the rebirth of the sun (the pharaoh's head) above the morning horizon, represented by the curved arms of the headrest. Several of these were found in Tutankhamun's tomb. It is still used in some parts of Africa and Japan.