This wooden chest with colored ivory panels shows a seated King Tutankhamun facing a pond and shooting wildfowl and fish. The queen is sitting on a cushion with an arrow in her left hand waiting to pass it to the king. On the lid, the king is seen with his queen, who is handing him bouquets of lotus and papyri. Flowers surround them.
Box with Carved Scenes of King Tutankhamun and His Queen
The ornamented chest means the decorated box. It was found in the Annex of the tomb of King Tutankhamun and when it was discovered it was separated from its lid, the chest was at one corner while the lid was thrown in the other end of the annex. It is considered a masterpiece because of its excellent state of preservation and the fine craftsmanship of its decoration.
Though it was found empty, but judging from the contents of similar boxes, it might have contained some of the king’s ceremonial robes. It consists of two parts: the lid and the chest itself. The lid would be attached to the box by means of the two knobs and a rope to be tied around it to seal and close the chest.
Though it was found empty, but judging from the contents of similar boxes, it might have contained some of the king’s ceremonial robes. It consists of two parts: the lid and the chest itself. The lid would be attached to the box by means of the two knobs and a rope to be tied around it to seal and close the chest.
It is made out of ebony inlaid with pieces of ivory and semi precious stones/coloured glass and it rests upon tall legs which continue all the way up the sides. The lid takes the shrine shape (pr wr) or the hunch back shape and it is decorated with cavetto cornice and torus moulding. The focal point of this chest is the scene on the lid itself as the king and the queen are shown in a very romantic and intimate attitude which is traditional style of EL-AMARNA art.
Carved Scenes of King Tutankhamun and His Queen
The scene shown on the lid of the chest is enclosed in geometrical patterns and floral motifs in red and black and it shows the king and the queen standing in a garden and the queen is offering him some bouquets of flowers and fruits. She is wearing a long wig decorated with jewellery, on top of her head there is a fat cone or a perfume cone from which the perfume smell is emitted due to body heat and the warm weather.
This cone is flanked on both sides with uraeus. The queen is wearing an elegant pleated tight fitting transparent dress showing her figure, which was the fashion of the era. On the other side Tutankhamun is taking the flowers from his wife, he is wearing a stepped wig, huge collar and pleated skirt tied with a belt and streamers. Both of them are wearing the sandals. Note here the representation of Tutankhamun leaning upon a stick or staff which confirms recent investigations suggesting that he suffered from a disorder in his left leg (that’s why he is either represented seated or standing leaning on a stick).
Under this scene there is a representation of a girl and a boy probably servants, collecting flowers and fruits. The scene at the front of the chest is a hunting scene showing the king wearing the KHEPRESH crown or the blue crown seated on a cushioned throne and putting his feet upon a cushioned stool. He is shooting an arrow which is concealed behind his ear which is a convention of the Egyptian art. His wife is seated at his feet ready to pass him an arrow.
In front of the royal couple there is a representation of a pond from which the king is shooting ducks and fish. Under the pond, there is an attendant carrying a fish and a duck which were hunted by the king. Three sides of the chest are decorated with a frieze of wild animals like antelopes, bulls, leopards and lions. Some of them are being attacked by the king’s hunting hounds. All are enclosed in floral motifs.