The painted wooden casket

Discovery:

The painted wooden casket of Tutankhamen was discovered in the antechamber of his tomb.

Material:

It is made of wood inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones covered with stucco and then painted.  

Importance:

This casket enjoyed great importance due to its high state of preservation and the brightness of its colors.

Contents:

When first found it contained a pair of papyrus sandals, three other pairs of gilded sandals, gilded headrest, and robes adorned with gold, belts, necklaces, scarves and labels. Carter needed three weeks to empty the contents of this chest after having solved the conservation problems associated with the paint, which was in danger in falling off with the stucco.

Description:

The chest was fastened by a rope or a string tied around the wooden knobs found on the lid and the box itself.

It consists of two main parts: the lid and the chest

The lid:

It is rounded lid on which is depicted the king in his chariot while hunting wild animals (hunting scene). It is furnished with the usual knobs for tying the chest to be closed. The two scenes upon the lid are surrounded by geometrical and floral patterns.

The scenes represent the king while hunting. He is shown upon his chariot led by two horses. The horses are represented in a running attitude. He is wearing the Sndyt, a collar, and holding in his hands a bow and an arrow. Above this scene, there are two representations of nxbt holding the Sn sign of eternity. Behind the king there are the fan bearers. Also there are three registers depicting his troops of cavalry, archers and lance bearers. In front of the king there is a heap to different animals. On one side appear antelopes, gazelles, wild donkeys, hyenas, and ostriches. They are all skillfully represented together and fleeing the arrows of the king. Between the wounded heap of animals there are the royal hunting dogs (hounds) they are attacking the wounded animals from their necks trying to kill them. in the parallel scene, there is a heap of lions and lionesses all pierced by arrows. There are also hounds trying to catch them from their neck in order to kill the ones still alive.

The sides of the lid:

There is a representation of Horus of Behdet, the winged solar disk. The scene is surrounded by geometrical patterns. Protruding from the winged solar disk, there is the cartouche of the king. Flanking the cartouche, there are two cobras: one of them is wearing the white crown HDt and the other is wearing the red crown dSrt. The two cobras are holding the Sn sign, and feather.

The casket:

The casket is decorated with military scenes which seem to be a fashion of that time and since the king did not attend any war so these scenes served as propaganda for the king to indicate the king’s role as a great warrior.

The scenes on the two long sides are almost identical. It represents a campaign led by King Tutankhamen who is shown wearing the blue crown xprS of war with uraes over the forehead, his chest is ornamented with a broad collar wsx. King Tut is represented in his chariot led by two horses, behind him stands his fan bearers represented in a smaller scale. Above the king hovers goddess Nekhbet grasps the Sn sign of eternity between her claws. Between her two wings there is the solar disk flanked by two cobras. The scene is surrounded by geometrical and floral patterns.

Behind the king, there are three registers containing the military groups showing on the first two registers military chariots whereas the third one showing ordinary soldiers.

The king is shown in his chariot attacking the Nubians who are represented in front of the king in a great chaos and who are characterized by their features; dark color skin, flat nose, thick lips and the curly hair.

The other long side depicts almost the same scene but here the king attacking the Asiatic who in turn characterized by their features.

On the short side of the casket, King Tut is represented as a sphinx, a royal head combined with the body of a lion, trampling over a Nubian and an Asiatic (Egypt’s enemies). On one side god Horus of Behdet is represented hovers above the scene providing it with protection whereas goddess Nekhbet is seen on the other side.

In between the two sphinxes inscribed the birth name of the king as well as the coronation name in cartouches.