The ornamented chest

Within the tomb of King Tutankhamen more than 50 chests were discovered varying n size as well as in shape.

Chests were used mainly by ancient Egyptians for storage in which the royal belongings such as scepters, sandals, jewelries, king’s underclothes, childhood toys an richly decorated robes were kept; they served same function as wardrobes an closets nowadays.

Discovery:

Concerning the ornamented chest of the king, it was discovered in the northwest corner of the Annex, whereas the lid was broken and thrown apart from the chest in the northeast corner of the same chamber.

Material:

It is made of wood inlaid with ebony and ivory.

Importance:

This chest is considered one of the masterpieces of Tutankhamen’s collection due to its elaborate workmanship artistically and technically.

Contents:

Despite the fact that this chest was fond empty; as it seems that its contents were robbed by the ancient robbers. However, it can be deduced that it once held the king’s ceremonial robes.

Description:

The design of the chest combines the features of the Egyptian shrines showing the cavetto cornice overlaid with gilded gesso and edged with ebony and the torus molding painted in dark green and a narrow ebony frieze.

The chest was fastened by a rope tied around the gilded wooden knobs found on the lid and the front of the box.

The chest consists of two main parts; the lid and the box itself.

The lid:

It is an elongated hunchbacked lid that is decorated with a wonderful scene reflects the peaceful domestic life showing the young king leaning slightly upon a long staff while receiving bouquets of flowers from the queen a wonderful scene that reflects the peaceful domestic life.

The box:

It rests upon 4 tall legs which continue all the way p to the sides.

Scenes:

The front of the chest: is decorated with a scene that is considered to be the principle scene among the others due to its position on the façade. The scene is bordered by a band of red and blue plaques arranged alternately and separated by striped plaques of black and white. The scene showing; King Tutankhamen seated on a cushioned chair while resting his feet on cushioned footstool. He wears the blue crown with uraeus, a broad collar, pleated kilt tied around his waist by a long sash, bracelets are to be seen on the arms and wrists and a sandal in his feet. The ears are pierced to receive an earring.

The king is shown shooting with bow and arrow wild fowl and fish from a rectangular pond, the arrow is concealed behind the king’s head which is one of the common artistic conventions.

Queen Anshesenpaamen is represented seated at the feet of the king squatting on a cushion. She holds in her right hand a lotus flower whereas an arrow ready to pass it to the king in her left hand. She is wearing a pleated dress, a wig with a diadem of uraei, up on the wig rests a conical unguent-holder adorned with floral bands.

Hieroglyphic inscriptions are to be seen in front of each figure; the king as well as the queen mentioning their names and titles.

An attendant is shown beneath the pond while bearing a fish and a duck each pierced by the king’s arrows.

The background of the scene is filled with garlands, bouquents of flowers and different floral motifs that gave the appearance that the action is taking place under a bower.

Very similar floral motifs are repeated on the sides as well as the back of the chest which are divided by oblique wavy lines into several animals are represented.

The sides:

The sides are divided into 5 sections by 3 oblique wavy lines.

Left side:

A calf attacked by a hound (the royal hunting animal), an ibex in flight, a calf in flight, a bull attacked by a cheetah which has jumped on its back and an ibex attacked by a hound.

Right side:

There is a calf rising on its feet, an ibex attacked by a lion, a bull in flight, two calves and a calf in flight.

The back:

It is divided into two sections by an oblique wavy line shoing an ibex attacked by a cheetah and a bull attacked by a hound.