The ceremonial chair (inlaid chair)

Discovery:

The ceremonial chair of Tutankhamen was discovered in the Annex among a group of domestic furniture.

Material:

It is carved of wood and inlaid with different materials such as ebony, ivory, gold, faience and semi-precious stone.

Importance:

The chair enjoyed great importance due to its elaborate workmanship. It was regarded as an “ecclesiastical throne” or as a “chair of state”.

Description:

In form, it is a composite chair that consists of several parts; the curved seat, the legs of folding stool and the back with its three vertical supports.

The back of the chair:

It starts with a frieze of cobras with the solar disc upon their heads. In the middle, there is a representation of the solar disc (god Aten) beneath it two cartouches (Amarna style).

Below the cobra frieze hovers goddess Nekhbet who is represented outstretching her wings holding the Sn sign of eternity and feathers (fan) in her claws.

Flanking goddess Nekhbet on each side two cartouches surmounted with the solar disc and engraved with the names of the king; the coronation name nb xprw ra lord of the forms of Re and the birth name twt anx itn “the living image of Aten” which is the early name of the king.

The decoration on the uer ortion and the borders includes gold foil and inlaid with colored glass, faience, and semi precious stone.

The back is decorated with three vertical columns of hieroglyphic inscriptions mentioning the designations of the king.

The seat:

The seat is composed of inlays of stained ivory arranged in panels imitating a variety of skins.

The boarders of the seat are made of ebony, inlaid with ivory imitating the hide of an animal.

The rectangular panels of the seat reflect the design seen on the back of the chair. The panels are inlaid with ivory and ebony and contain hieroglyphic inscriptions with names and titles of the king.

The under side of the seat is covered in real leather.

The legs; the legs of the chair are crossed imitating the legs of the folding stools found in the antechamber.

The legs are ending in head of goose, symbol of god Amen or in another explanation the goose was designated in ancient Egypt as snD which means fear and by its representation under the chair the king would be able to overcome the fear.

Floral motifs representing the union of the two lands smA tAwy were used to connect between the legs as they are now damaged.

The reverse side of the back:

On the reverse side of the back there is a golden representation for goddess Nekhbet along with the sacred eye of Horus.

It is supported by vertical supports bear the early name of the king Tutankhaten whereas the name Tutankhamen is to be seen in the horizontal inscriptions which lead scholars to believe that the chair was manufactured during the period when the two religions of Amen an Aten co-existed.

The foot stool:

It is decorated with representation of the nine traditional enemies of Egypt who are recognized by their features; they are of Asiatic and Nubians. The representation of enemies on the footstool upon which the king used to rest his feat gave the intent that all the enemies are under the control of the king, in other words it reflects submission an subjugation.  

Material:

It is made of wood, inlaid with blue faience and yellow stone.

Function:

Footstool is the place upon which the king used to rest his feet.

Decoration:

Footstools are known since the Old Kingdom. They used to bear the same decoration of the traditional enemies of Egypt previously found on the pedestals of the royal thrones.

It is known that the enemies of Egypt were referred to by 9 bows (pDt/pDwt) indicating that Egypt had 9 traditional enemies. However, we must be cautious when we deal with the umber 9 since Egypt had three main enemies which were; Nubians (south), Libyans (west), and Asiatic (east) yet and by plural of plurality the enemies could be counted nine.

Concerning our footstool, it is decorated with Nubians captures to the right who are characterized with their dark skin, flat nose, thick lips and the curly hair. To the left, Asiatic captures are represented and characterized with their ling beard.

The enemies are shown tied around bows. Such a representation for the enemies of Egypt upon the footstools on which the king used to rest his feet indicates subjugation and submission.

On the sides of the footstool, there is a representation for the rxyt birds (lapwing) symbolizing (subject people) standing on the nb sign (all) and in front of it the star dwA (adore0 which read as all people adore the king.