Who Is King Tutankhamun's Death Mask?

The Sarcophagus of Queen Hatshepsut is considered one of the most historic pieces of ancient Egyptian art that still stands here today in our presence. It is an exquisite work of art, a piece of enlightenment and even a masterpiece that earned a place in the realm of art history. It is one of only three royal sarcophagi that is currently displayed outside of Egypt and is one of they very few from the eighteenth Dynasty that shows multiple alterations and phases of decorations. This sarcophagus was originally prepared for Queen Hatshepsut and later was recut for her father, King Thutmose I. This is an artistic masterpiece from a royal atelier, a prototype for the funeral beliefs and the traditions, and a pivotal historical piece of the complicated puzzle of early New Kingdom political history.

The reliefs of Ankh-neb-ef are limestone panels with paint that originated from the Old Kingdom of Egypt in 2150 BC during the reign of Pharaoh Pepy II. The delicate carving of the panels in the sunken relief presents a magnificent image. They portray Ankh-neb-ef, an ancient Egyptian priest whose name translates to “may his lord live.” In the reliefs, Ankh-neb-ef holds a Kherep-sceptor and a walking stick, which were symbols of authority in ancient Egypt. Egyptian civilization was extremely religious and most ancient Egyptian artworks involved the portrayal of gods, goddesses, and Pharaoh, as well. Moreover, the Egyptian reverence for order and conservative ideals led to the institution of intricate rules that governed how artists represented both humans and gods (Saylor.org 4). For instance, the apparel worn by Ankh-neb-ef in the painting is not a simple fashion statement. The priest is wearing a prestigious sarong and ornamentation, bracelets, and a wide collar. The jewelry kept their owner safe in a dangerous passage to the afterlife. This formula for representing the human figure in a painting remained popular over several centuries (Robins 24).

This photo essay demonstrates the value the ancient Egyptians placed in material goods and earthly possessions, even insisting on being buried with them to take to the afterlife. Many of the items Tutankhamen was buried with were things that might have been important to him in his life, and thus buried to be taken with him to the afterlife, however other items, such as the funerary barge and the ornate canopic jars, suggest that these elaborate items are connected to their belief of passage into the afterlife. If this is true, it emphasizes the point that treasures have emotional ties, the ancient Egyptians would have had an emotional connection to whether or not their pharaoh made a safe passage into the

He was called ‘Tutankhamun’ (meaning “Living image of the Aten”). He then changed his name to ‘Tutankhamun Heqaiunushema’ ("Living Image of Amun, ruler of Heliopolis of Upper Egypt"). His name was written as "Amen-tut-ankh" because of the tradition of honorific transposition (where the name of a god is written first out of respect).

King Tutankhamen also known as King Tut was born in 1341 BC and died in 1323 BC. Akhenaten(King Tut’s father) birthday is unknown, but he died in 1335 BC. King Tut is known most for his tomb. “The most fascinating item found in King Tut’s tomb was the stone sarcophagus containing three coffins, one inside the other, with a final coffin made of gold. When the lid of the third coffin was raised, King Tut's royal mummy was revealed, preserved for more than 3,000 years. As archaeologists examined the mummy, they found other artifacts, including bracelets, rings and collars.” The tomb was discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. When Carter discovered it, it was untouched. Most of what we know about Egyptian history came from the tomb. Akhenaten and King Tut were both pharaohs, but had two different styles of ruling. Akhenaten made radical changes. These radical changes led to “his characterisation as the first individual in history”. King Tut was the complete opposite. This paper will prove that Tutankhamen took the necessary steps to legitimize his rule after the chaotic rule of his father.

Tutankhamun a.k.a King Tut, was an Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty during the flow of Egyptian chronicle known as the New Realm or sometimes the New Kingdom Period. The last heir of a powerful family that had ruled Egypt and its empire for centuries, he was put to rest at the age of just 19 and covered with gold. The young Pharaoh vanished from history, until the discovery of his tomb in 1922. In discovery of the tomb an interesting artifact was found, known as “King Tut's Chest”. What do we know about this find and it's depiction of the battle scenes?

King Tutankhamun lived over 3,300 years ago during a period known as the New Kingdom. This period of time was called the New Kingdom because it was when the pharaohs united upper and lower Egypt into one kingdom with the capital being Memphis near current day Cairo. The reason I chose to write a research paper on King Tut is because he is one of the most well known pharaohs of ancient Egypt. Tutankhamun is most well known only by the discovery of his intact tomb in 1922 by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon.

The Egyptian Mummy Mask from the early Roman Period is unique and beautiful in every way possible. This mask that is on display in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston is about 3 feet tall to about 2 feet wide. This certain piece of magnificent art is extremely detailed with intricate designs covering it all around. The Museum of Fine Arts makes it easy to pay attention to, because of its detail and how the mask is displayed. The Mummy Mask has it’s own small alter with a spot light shining down on it creating dramatic shadows in a very dim room. The decorations include inlaid glass eyes, a gold leaf and is hand-painted and gilded glass. This mask is not paper maché like the masks that were made in this era; this Mummy Mask had been created out of cartonnage . The Egyptians decorated this masterpiece with bold vertical and horizontal lines representing rows of beads to go along with the story it tells. The Egyptian Mummy Mask from the first half of the first century A.D illustrates a gaze of innocence and acceptance while looking into the bright future of whom the mask was made for. Perfectly painted images covering the mask tell a story of the traditional funerary practices and the after life Egyptians believed in. Egyptians would create these pieces to fit over the heads of the lost lives wrapped inside the mummy. The mask represents the deceased transformed into a God . Although the face of the mask is idealized and emotionless, the decorations say and express more than a

The Contents of the Tomb and What They Suggest About Life in Ancient Egypt at the Time of Tutankamun

Once towering, but now slowly crumbling pyramids grace the horizon, bejeweled and dusty royal mummies lay buried and forgotten by the sands of time, and mysterious and often strangely heroic murals intertwined with a scattering of hieroglyphics sprawl across the walls of tombs and temples alike. These are the only evidence left of a once vast empire that is rapidly falling into disrepair as its already decrepit state grows worse. However, the current state of ancient Egypt does not curb the curiosity of adventure seekers looking to peek into a diminished era; today, a multitude of onlookers wander through the glorious yet now empty tombs that once held ancient Egypt’s elite. Millions more in museums around the world peer through the glass enclosing the precious jewels, fragmented pottery and statues, and frayed and often threadbare garments that before adorned peasant and monarch alike. Nevertheless, it is the fascinating intricacies and myths surrounding pieces such as King Tut’s death mask and the statues of Rameses the Great that still grip one with awe and leave lingering unanswered questions behind. What was Egypt like during the reign of each of these age-old monarchs? Even more so, what traits and morals did each hold that wove legacies characterized with such vivid larger than life personas of each, yet above all else, how could one pharaoh inscribe his story in our hearts as to ensure an enduring image even after his death?

These paintings, through limited, show evidence that Tutankhamun’s funeral preparations comply with Osirin burial customs. The paintings depict scenes of Tutankhamun’s preparation and voyage to the afterworld. The northern wall of the burial room portray scenes from the Opening of the mouth ceremony and Tutankhamun, followed by his Ka, being greeted by Osiris. The Opening of the mouth ceremony was perfumed by Ay, Tutankhamun’s successor as he had no heirs to the throne, and it allowed the deceased to be reborn again in the afterlife and keep all his senses. Tutankhamun is greeted by the sky goddess Nut who is a symbol of resurrection, representing the dead pharaoh being reborn into the afterlife. A scarab beetles is displayed above a solar boat on the wast wall symbolising new life and the twelve baboon deities represent the hours of the night the pharaoh must travel to be reborn. On the southern wall of the burial room Tutankhamun is pictured being welcomed to the afterlife by Isis, Horus and Anubis. Both Horus and Anubis are holding Ankhs which convey Tutankhamun’s eternal life in the afterworld. Each wall depicts a different scenes with the similar theme of resurrection, new life and eternal life, all concepts associated with Osirian funerary

A thousand years later the Funerary Mask of King Tutankhamun was constructed. The entire mask is made out of gold inlaid with glass and precious stones. The vulture and the cobra represent the two lands he ruled over, Lower and Upper Egypt. He wears a Nemes (headcloth of the Kings of Egypt) and the stylized beard and face give the viewer a sense that this person was very important. However, the divinity comes from the falcons on the shoulders of the Pharaoh. The falcon represents Horus one of the most important egyptian deities, and thus by association the Pharaoh would be a god himself. At this time in Egypt, ruler depictions were starting to show signs of being human. The funerary mask does give a sense of humanity much more than that of the Akkadian, but the mask exemplifies divinity and perfection none the less.

Throughout the beginning of mankind, there are many differences in the way they governed their societies. From, the 1500’s back they usually had one person who was the top either something like a king or Pharaoh. Usually, the people who were in charge would have a tomb built for them when they passed or ordered people to build them a tomb before they passed. Some of these tombs were grand while others were dull. There were also tombs that made a greater impression than other tombs which are today known as “famous tombs”. Of course, some tombs are grand, but this paper will focus on the significance of the ruler and the tomb and how the ruler impacted the way the tomb was built. KV62 better known as the tomb of a young Pharaoh Tutankhamun also

When asked to name an Egyptian pharaoh, most people would turn to the name; Tutankhamun. A name which belonged to one of the most famous and well-known mummies of Ancient Egypt. Tutankhamun was a pharaoh who ruled during the New Kingdom Period in Ancient Egypt at the age of 9-10, his short lived reign lasted from 1332-1323 BC. His mummified remains were found in a cache tomb by Howard Carter, the tomb remained untouched and hidden in the Valley of the Kings for many hundreds of thousands of years while many others were plundered upon discovery. Within this tomb were countless treasures, artefacts and answers to feed our curiosity about the young Pharaoh as well as Egyptian culture, beliefs of power, death and the afterlife.

Accordingly, how the ancient Pharaohs typically had several sarcophagi that were ornately decorated with spiritual symbols; because of, when the sarcophagus decoration provide a means of helping the dead stay connected to the living in the afterlife. Consequently, it is interesting to know the meaning of colors in the decoration of the