Egypt...in all its ancient glory
The Times of Tutankhamun and Ramses II

The gold funerary mask of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, at the end of the 18th Dynasty.

Of the two spectacular Egyptian discoveries of the 20th Century, the Tombs of Tutankamun and of Ramses II, the tomb of Tut yielded the most extraordinary gold items, a brief glimpse of the wealth buried with the Pharaohs and usually plundered soon after the burial.  Tut's tomb was forgotten, perhaps in the turmoil of political change and intrigue (some even think Tut was poisoned) from the Amarna Period and the worship of the one god Aton, to the return of the conservatism of the 19th Dynasty and the worship of the traditional Egyptian gods and goddess.

"Death Mask of Tutankhamen," from the innermost coffin of his tomb. See page 80, Gardner text.	Another view of the fabulous gold mask, inlaid with turquose, lapis lazuli and carnelian.

Pendant detail of the golden pectoral  from the 12th Dynasty, c.1897-1878 bce.	The pectoral ("necklace") above is fashioned in gold with amethyst, turquoise, feldspar, carnelian, lapis lazuli and garnet. Metropolitan Museum of Art	Part of a gold pectoral from Tutankhamun's tomb, 18th Dynasty

Wooden lioness, gessoed and gilded, from Tutankhamun's tomb.	Painted and varnished wooden jackal, with gilding and silver claws.	Gilded cow, "Hathor," with horns holding the sun-disk.

Gold statue of the Pharaoh Tutankhamun, riding on a black panther, 18th Dynasty	"The Face of Tut," from a wooden bust of Tutankhamun from the antechamber of the tomb.	12" gold "coffinette" believed to contain Tut's embalmed intestines.

Egyptian wall paintings are seen in the pyramids, tombs and tomb-temples rather than in homes and palaces.  Wall paintings are fresco or mud plaster.  Egyptian artists also painted on papyrus and wood; many paintings were incised in low relief and then painted.  The subject matter of Egyptian paintings is primarily instructions about the afterlife for the soul of the deceased and information about the person's life before death.

"Hired weepers at a funeral" from a tomb of the 18th Dynasty shows the naturalism of the human figure.	This 18th Dynasty tomb painting from Thebes is painted on mud plaster, c.1424-17 bce. Metropolitan Museum of Art	The "Funerary Papyrus" above, from Thebes, from the 21st Dynasty, c.1085-945 bce. Painted and inscribed papyrus.  Note the return to the conventionalized forms.

Funerary Stela of Aafenmut, from Thebes, 22nd Dynasty, c.924-889 bce.  Painted wood, height 9 X 7 l/4" Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York	Fragment of a wall painting, from the 18th Dynasty.  Note the relaxed figures above, compared to the figures in the fragment to the left, from the 22nd Dynasty.	"Judgment of the Underworld" shows a return to conventionalized figures.

"Ladies of the Leisure Class" is a tomb painting showing upperclass women and children.	Tomb painting, "Ladies at a Banquet, with Servants"	"Fowling Scene," from the tomb of Nebamun, at Thebes. Click on each of these three images to enlarge.

"Akenaten and his family, from Tell el-Amarna,"18th Dynasty, c.1348-36 bce.  Painted limestone sunken relief.  Click on the image to enlarge. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin	Outer coffin of Henettawny, "Chantress of Amen-Ra," from Thebes, 21st Dynasty, c.1039-992 bce. Gessoed  and painted wood, ht 80".	"A Youthful Ramses II"   The Louvre, Paris

Page Updated 8/25/08

Click on your browser "back" button to return

Copyright M. Hoover and San Antonio College, July, 2001.  All rights reserved.