Table of Contents
Mask of Tutankhamun Material Gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian, obsidian, turquoise and glass paste Size 54 × 39.3 × 49 cm Writing Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs Created c. 1323 BC.
What material is Tutankhamun’s mask made of?
The death mask of Tutankhamun The death mask (above) is considered one of the masterpieces of Egyptian art. It originally rested directly on the shoulders of the mummy inside the innermost gold coffin. It is constructed of two sheets of gold that were hammered together and weighs 22.5 pounds (10.23 kg).
How much is King Tut’s death mask worth?
Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s death mask is worth around 2 million dollars.
Is Tutankhamun’s mask solid gold?
Tutankhamun died in about 1324BC aged roughly 19 after reigning for nine years. His 11kg solid gold funerary mask is encrusted with lapis lazuli and semi-precious stones.
What was the death mask made of?
The funerary mask served to guide the spirit of the deceased back to its final resting place in the body. These masks were commonly made of cloth covered with stucco or plaster, which was then painted. For more important personages, silver and gold were used.
How much gold is in King Tut’s coffin?
Inside the innermost coffin laid King Tut’s mummified remains clad with a golden death mask in the Kings likeness. The 22 pound mask sits 1.8 feet tall and contains a total of 321.5 troy ounces of gold. This gives it a value of over a half a million dollars in just its weight in gold.
Where was the death mask found?
Mask of Tutankhamun Writing Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs Created c. 1323 BC Discovered 28 October 1925 Present location Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
What is King Tut’s treasure worth?
Tutankhamun was buried in three layers of coffin, one of which was hewn from solid gold. That single coffin is estimated to be worth well over $1.2 million (€1.1m) and he was buried with an assortment of chariots, thrones and jewelry.
How much is King Tut’s tomb worth today?
The exhibit is insured for $26 million and the gold alone in Tut’s 2,448-pound coffin would, at today’s prices, be worth about $1,700,000. The announcement of the discovery set off a rash of worldwide enthusiasm which still exists today—as evidenced by the current lines of people waiting to get into the British Museum.
Where is the real Tutankhamun kept?
Today the most fragile artifacts, including the burial mask, no longer leave Egypt. Tutankhamun’s mummy remains on display within the tomb in the Valley of the Kings in the KV62 chamber, his layered coffins replaced with a climate-controlled glass box.
Who ruled Upper Egypt?
Ancient Egyptian tradition credited Menes, now believed to be the same as Narmer, as the king who united Upper and Lower Egypt. On the Narmer Palette the king is depicted wearing the Red Crown in one scene and the White crown in another, and thereby showing his rule over both Lands.
Did King Tut have pierced ears?
Tutankhamun’s mummy shows that he had pierced ears, and several pairs of earrings were discovered within the tomb (such as: JE 61969/Carter 269a(1); JE 61972/Carter 269a(2)). This piece was found partially hidden amongst the disassembled chariots in the Antechamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
What is an Egyptian death mask?
When someone died in Ancient Egypt, their body would have been preserved by being mummified. A death mask was created so that the soul would recognise its body, and return to it safely. Death masks were also believed to help to guard a dead person from evil spirits in the afterlife.
What are death masks called?
Death mask, a wax or plaster cast of a mold taken from the face of a dead individual.
What is the oldest death mask?
The oldest-known European example of a death mask belongs to the face of Edward III, king of England. He reigned from 1327 until his death in 1377 [source: Gibson].
What were death masks called?
Funerary masks were frequently used to cover the face of the deceased. Generally their purpose was to represent the features of the deceased, both to honour them and to establish a relationship through the mask with the spirit world.
What was in the first coffin?
Early tombs were considered the eternal dwelling places of the deceased, and the earliest coffins resembled miniature homes in appearance. They were made of small pieces of local wood doweled together. The inside floor of the coffin was painted with Nut, Isis, Osiris, or the Djed pillar (Osiris’s backbone).
Why was Tutankhamun’s tomb not robbed?
The only reason Tutankhamun’s tomb remained relatively intact (it was actually broken into twice in antiquity and robbed) was that it was accidentally buried by the ancient workers who built the tomb of Ramesses VI (1145-1137 BCE) nearby.
Why was King Tut buried in a second hand coffin?
TUTANKHAMUN, the Egyptian boy king buried in golden splendour, was interred in a second-hand ‘coffin’ intended for his predecessor, research has revealed. A study of his last resting place – a four-ton sarcophagus – shows that the great stone box had been built 10 years before the boy king’s death.
Why was Tutankhamun buried so quickly?
It may be that Tutankhamun simply died too young to complete his ambitious plans. His own tomb was unfinished, and so he had to be buried in a substitute, non-royal tomb. Currently Egyptologists are investigating the possibility that there may be secret chambers hidden behind the plastered wall of his burial chamber.
Are death masks still made?
Essentially, death masks aren’t really being made — forensic photography has made documenting the dead an easy and efficient process. However, as it concerns death masks to memorialize individuals in an artistic way — this is still going on. Only now it is called “lifecasting”.
What is King Tut holding in his coffin?
The innermost coffin He holds the crook and flail, symbols of the king’s right to rule. The goddesses Nekhbet (vulture) and Wadjet (cobra), inlaid with semiprecious stones, stretch their wings across his torso.