The Mask of Tutankhamun Is a funeral mask made of gold and precious stones. It is considered the most recognized piece of Egyptian art.
The ancient Egyptians were characterized by making different objects for funerary rites, such as the mummies themselves, mortuary masks, protective statues and all kinds of elements, since they believed in life after death.
The tombstone of Tutankhamun was discovered in 1925 by the English archaeologist and Egyptologist Howard Carter, in the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings known as KV62.
History of the mask of Tutankhamun
King Tutankhamun was only 9 years old when he became the ruler of Egypt during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom (1332-1332 BCE). Its reign would have been unknown not to discover its tomb, one of the richest of the Necropolis of Thebes.
The tomb was found in 1922 and was opened a year later. It cost two years more to enter completely to the tomb and to obtain the rescue of the three sarcophaguses that contained the mummy of the king Tutankamón. In the third of these sarcophagi - made of pure gold - the funeral mask was found.
The mask of Tutankhamun is approximately 3250 years old and is currently on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt, on a permanent basis.
Characteristics of the mask
The funeral mask is made of pure gold and has a weight of 11 kilos. It measures 54 centimeters in height, 39.3 centimeters in width and 49 centimeters in depth. It is made of two layers of high caliber gold, which have a thickness of between 1.5 and 3 millimeters.
In investigations with X-rays, it was shown that the funeral mask contains two gold alloys: one of 18.4 carats for the face and neck and another of 22.5 carats for the rest of the mask.
Gold not only represents the immense wealth of the pharaoh, but is also used for its resemblance to the light of the sun, so it would also provide the powers of the solar deities. Gold is a metal that does not deteriorate or lose its luster and the ancient Egyptians thought it was the"skin of the gods".
Tutankhamun's mask covered the face of his mummified body, and as the same archaeologist Howard Carter wrote in his diary to find it, has features of the god Osiris mingled with the sad but calm features of the young, placid and beautiful king, with eyes open Looking at the heavens.
This face is the same that was found in other statues and elements inside his tomb, particularly in the guarded statues of the mummified king. The mask bears the Nemes, a headdress, the symbol of the nobles.
On its front it bears two emblems: the emblem of the cobra - representing the goddess Wadjet - and the emblem of the vulture - the goddess Nekhbet. This represents that King Tutankhamen reigned over Upper and Lower Egypt.
The ears of the mask are pierced to wear rings, which is usually reserved for children and women in almost all Egyptian art works we know.
In addition to this, on the solid gold cover of the mixture there are incrustations of various precious stones, among them lapis lazuli - around the eyes and in the eyebrows; Quartz - in his eyes; And obsidian-in the pupils.
Other gemstones in the funeral mask are Carnelian, Turquoise, Amazonian; As well as crockery and glass in different places, as in the necklace.
In addition, the mask has engraved on its back a protective spell, corresponding to Spell 151B of the Book of the Dead, which provides protection to Tutankhamun by invoking the gods Anubis, Osiris, Horus and Ra, during their passage to life after death.
Other pieces of the mask of Tutankhamun
When it was discovered in 1925, the mask of Tutankhamen had a beard of 2.5 kilos. It was a thin piece, with inlays of lapis lazuli that gave a twisted effect. It was not until 1944 that the piece was again attached to the mask using some pieces of wood.
Then the piece of beard again separated from the mask in an accident while they were cleaning it, in 2014. It was repaired in 2015 by a team of German and Egyptian archaeologists, who managed to unite it using first beeswax, the same Natural material that was used in ancient Egypt.
The funeral mask also has a necklace, which is not displayed together with the piece. It is a three-turn necklace made of gold and blue earthenware discs, with lotus flower ornaments and brooches in the form of uraeus, which is a representation of the goddess Uadyet and a badge of royalty. It has the form of a snake and is the protector of the pharaohs.
Latest research
According to the latest research by the British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves, Tutankhamun's funeral mask would have been designed for a pharaoh, probably his mother the famous and beautiful Queen Nefertiti.
This discovery is based upon carefully examining an inscription in the funeral mask. It can be seen that the names of Tutankhamun were written on previously carved symbols, which correspond to the titles given to Queen Nefertiti.
The importance of this finding is that to know the location of the tomb of Tutankhamen, could solve one of the greatest mysteries of Egyptology: where Nefertiti is buried.
It is most likely that the beautiful mother of Tutankhamun was buried anonymously and without honor of Pharaoh. Nefertiti would have been deprived of its titles by the ideological conflict that was lived in Egypt at the time, between the monotheism and the polytheism.
Thus the beautiful mask of Tutankhamun is not only the most important symbol of Egyptian art, but also an authentic witness of one of the most convoluted times in the history of Ancient Egypt.
References
- Tutankhamun's mask. Wikipedia. Retrieved from Wikipedia.com.
- The Gold Mask of Tutankkhamun. Eternal Egypt. Retrieved from eternalegypt.com.
- Tutankhamun's tomb (innermost coffin and death mask). Essay by Dr Elizabeth Cummins. Retrieved from khanacademy.org.
- Tutankhamun: Great golden face mask was actually made for his mother Nefertiti, research reveals. David Keys. Recieved from independent.co.uk.
- Tutankhamun's gold mask back on display in Egypt after beard restoration. Retrieved from theguardian.com.
- King Tut Mask. Description of the King Tut Mask - The Use of Gold - The Flesh of the Gods. Retrieved from historyembalmed.org.
- Tutankhamun's Gold Mask. Retrieved from timetrips.co.uk.