Deciphering the Jewellery of Tutankhamun from Head to Toe
King Tut’s Golden Mask on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Image courtesy of Aswat Masriya
CAIRO, Egypt — Beyond the hieroglyphics of Ancient Egypt lies a hidden treasure trove of mysteries, illuminated by the glittering and exquisite jewellery of Tutankhamun. Embedded with powerful symbolism and beliefs, these precious adornments not only offer a tantalising glimpse into the pharaonic history of Egypt, but also mark what was perhaps the epitome of goldsmithing and jewellery arts.
It was more than a decade ago when I was first introduced to the jewellery of Ancient Egypt. In a jewellery history class, I discovered how goldsmiths and artisans of the time excelled at transforming symbols and motifs into portable art, particularly through their mastery of inlays (setting semi-precious gemstones and coloured glass seamlessly in yellow gold), creating a bold statement that still captivates the eyes of modern viewers. They were not only masters of jewellery making, but also pioneers of style and fashion, as evidenced by their timeless creations that continue to inspire artists and designers alike.
My knowledge of ancient Egyptian jewellery was mostly limited to images I had seen online or in books. I never had the opportunity to view them in person until a recent visit to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Known for its unrivaled collection of treasures uncovered in Tutankhamun’s tomb, the museum offers a rare chance to witness the breathtaking beauty and meticulous artistry of these ancient masterpieces in person.
This captivating collection of precious artefacts has been made available to the public, all thanks to the efforts of the renowned British archaeologist Howard Carter, whose momentous discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 brought to light these exquisite pieces of jewellery.
After several years of searching the tomb, Carter's team stumbled upon a pile of rubble, underneath which lay a set of steps leading to a door. Upon entering, Carter and his team were stunned by the treasures they found: a trove of artefacts, including gold jewellery, furniture, statues, and the young king’s sarcophagus. When confronted with the treasures of the burial chamber, Howard Carter wrote, “Surely in the whole history of excavation nothing so wondrous had been seen as was now revealed to us by the light of an electric torch.”
The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb captured the world's imagination. After the unearthing of the Rosetta Stone in 1799, the discovery of the tomb of the young pharaoh sparked renewed interest in ancient Egyptian civilisation, giving rise to the phenomenon commonly referred to as “Egyptomania”. This fascination with ancient Egyptian culture was manifested in art, architecture, design, fashion, as well as jewellery.
But what is it about Tutankhamun's treasure that caused a sensation worldwide?
The treasures of the young pharaoh, which include a wide range of funerary items, are now on display on the second floor of the Egyptian Museum. Among the dazzling array of riches is a sumptuous gold throne adorned with semi-precious stones and coloured glass. What sets these embellishments apart is that some of the inlays have been carved in low relief, imbuing the inanimate object with vitality.
The back of the throne features an intimate scene of the young king and his queen, Ankhesenamun, who is seen anointing the king with perfume oil. The king is adorned with an elaborate crown and a broad collar, both inlaid with exquisite coloured glass. This regal representation gives us a glimpse into the types of ornaments donned by the pharaoh and other members of the royal family.
The Golden Throne of Tutankhamun retrieved from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62), Valley of the Kings, in Luxor. Image courtesy of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
The back of the golden throne of Tutankhamun features an intimate scene of King Tutankhamun and Queen Ankhesenamun. Image from the internet.
As I wander among the sumptuous artefacts retrieved from Tutankhamun’s tomb, I arrive at a separate gallery that houses the exquisite jewellery of the young pharaoh.
Upon stepping inside, my gaze is immediately drawn to a dazzling exhibit of jewellery belonging to the young king. The gold on display emanate a warm glow in the darkness, adding to the allure of these ancient treasures.
Prior to my visit, I was worried that the pieces had been relocated to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is due to open this year. However, to my relief, the jewellery is still here at the Egyptian Museum for visitors to appreciate.
The stunning jewels are displayed along the walls, encircling the iconic golden mask that sits at the centre of the gallery. The golden mask is essentially a portrait of King Tutankhamun. It features a realistic depiction of the pharaoh's face, from his prominent cheekbones and high nose, to his full and confident lips. The fact that the ear is pierced only adds to the authenticity of this portrait. The attention to detail is so precise that it appears — to me — as though the deceived king has been conjured from the netherworld.
The golden mask, originally used to cover the mummified body, was believed to serve as an image that the soul could inhabit during the afterlife. But this mask, weighing 11 kg, carries an even greater weight. In my view, it represents the pinnacle of goldsmithing art in Ancient Egypt.
This royal portrait is crafted from two thick sheets of gold. In Ancient Egypt, gold was believed to echo the skin of the gods, and the portrait's almond-shaped eyes, full lips, and finely sculpted features certainly lend it an imposing aura.
The level of artistry demonstrated in the repoussé technique is truly remarkable. Armed with this gold-working technique, the artisans breathe life into malleable precious metals through meticulously hammering the surface to produce stunning designs in low relief, imbuing them with depth and dimensionality.
On display, not far from the golden mask, are the finger and toe stalls that once adorned the mummified king, allowing him to ascend to the realm of the gods. Hammered out of sheets of gold, these stalls are exquisitely detailed, capturing even the engraved details of nails and knuckles.
From an archaeological perspective, these golden stalls served a practical purpose: they protected Tutankhamun's fingers and toes from decomposing. The ointments that were poured over his mummified body had caused damage to most of the tissues, but the stalls had kept his extremities intact.
The golden visage of the pharaoh boasts eyebrows and kohl-rimmed eyes that are beautifully inlaid with lapis lazuli. The ancient Egyptians believed that the blue of the lapislazuli, reminiscent the intense colour of the sky, represents the hair of gods. The eyeballs are adorned with quartz, while obsidian is used for the pupils, lending a striking realism to the pharaoh's gaze.
An X-ray analysis revealed that a very thin layer of silver-rich gold — whiter than the mask itself — was added to the surface of the king's visage to enhance its radiance. This subtle enhancement was imperceptible to the naked eye, but it added to the mask's overall allure.
Tutankhamun’s head is donned with nemes headcloth, embellished with glass in a rich shade of blue that emulates the appearance of lapis lazuli. These glass inlays are artfully arranged in a striped pattern, enhancing the regal elegance of the pharaoh's attire.
On his forehead, two protective goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt — represented by a vulture and a cobra respectively — are crafted from solid gold and inlaid with a combination of faience, glass, carnelian, and lapis lazuli.
While the golden mask of Tutankhamun is breathtaking, what captivates me most is the pharaoh's beard. This long beard, featuring elegant curls at its end, serves as a symbol of divinity. What sets this beard apart is that the blue-coloured glass is inlaid on a three-dimensional surface, which would have posed a significant challenge to the artisans who created it.
This wesekh collar was found draping over the mummified King Tuthankhamun’s thigh. Image courtesy of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
The broad collar adorning the golden mask is a true marvel, consisting of twelve rows of beads made from lapis lazuli, carnelian, amazonite, and glass paste. The collar's terminals are fashioned into the shape of the falcon, a representation of god Horus who was was associated with protection and the pharaoh's divine right to rule.
This type of broad collar, known as "usekh" or "wesekh" (meaning "broad"), was common in Ancient Egypt, and could be made of a variety of materials, including faience beads, flower petals, and gold inlaid with semi-precious stone or glass. Broad collars as such were worn for both ritual and official occasions, by men, women, and gods alike. Like other symbolic pieces of jewellery, these collars were placed among the linen wraps of the mummified king as a form of protection against evil.
A stunning example of these broad collars is one that is composed of eleven separate gold plaques, each featuring nine rows of inlay, including carnelian and coloured glass. The dark blue glass emulates the appearance of lapis lazuli, while the lighter blue mimics turquoise and the red imitates carnelian.
What is intriguing about this particular piece is the intricate chased design of the glass inlays, which creates the impression of long tubular beads. This meticulous attention to detail is truly remarkable.
What I love the most about the piece is the counterweight, or mankhet, which takes the shape of a lotus blossom. The mankhet served to balance the weight of the necklace, preventing it from putting too much strain on the neck. This lotus blossom is adorned with carnelian and coloured glass, and its minimalist design looks strikingly contemporary to our eyes, despite being more than 3,000 years old.
Like the hieroglyphic scripts that puzzled the world for millennia, the use of gemstones in Ancient Egypt was crypted with meaning and symbolism. The intricate inlays on ancient Egyptian jewellery often conveyed important messages or beliefs.
Gold was highly revered in ancient Egypt, as it was considered to symbolise the skin of the gods. Silver, on the other hand, was believed to be the bones of the gods. The deep blue colour of lapis lazuli was often associated with the hair of the gods, while the fiery red of carnelian was thought to represent the blazing sun. Turquoise, which ranged from light blue to green and was mined from the Sinai Peninsula, was closely associated with the goddess Hathor.
In Ancient Egypt, the colour black had a unique association with "rebirth”. This was due to the fact that black represented the life-giving silt left by the annual flooding of the Nile River.
Although semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, carnelian, and turquoise were highly valued and frequently used in ancient Egyptian jewellery, glass was sometimes substituted for these stones, as colour was the most important factor.
Winged-scarab pectoral of Tutankhamun retrieved from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62), Valley of the Kings, in Luxor. Image courtesy of the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
It shouldn't be a surprise that the ancient Egyptians also incorporated hieroglyphs into their jewellery, considering their belief that written words held immense power (the ancient Egyptians referred to their script as ‘the god’s word’).
A famous example is Tutankhamun's winged-scarab pectoral. This gold pectoral, which depicts a scarab with open wings holding onto the sun, forms a rebus for Tutankhamun's throne name, Nebkheperure.
The name Nebkheperure is comprised of three elements, starting with a turquoise-coloured basket, which is the sign for neb or "all." Above the basket is a scarab carved in lapis lazuli, the symbol for kheper, meaning "creation" or "form." The scarab's front legs, along with its colourful wings inlaid in carnelian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise, embrace a sun disk, forming the name of the sun god Re. This pectoral is an ingenious way of manifesting the king's name while holding great symbolic significance.
In Ancient Egypt, the scarab served as a symbol of rebirth and resurrection, due to its association with the rising sun. This came about because the ancient Egyptians observed that these beetles push sun-shaped balls of dung across the sand. Therefore, the winged-scarab pectoral was considered a powerful talisman to aid in the king's journey to the afterlife. Despite its small size of only nine centimetres high, the amount of intricate details and symbolic meaning embedded by the artisans into this exquisite piece of jewelry is truly remarkable.
Winged-scarab pectoral retrieved from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62), Valley of the Kings, in Luxor. Image courtesy of Sandro Vannini
Another pectoral belonging to Tutankhamun showcases the king's throne name in a similar fashion, but with slight variations. This gold pectoral features a winged scarab resting atop a basket, and instead of embracing the sun, the scarab's front legs support the symbol of the moon. Below the moon is the wedjat eye flanked by a pair of uraei, which serves as a powerful symbol of sovereignty.
It's worth noting that the central scarab of the pectoral is carved from Libyan Desert glass, a yellow-coloured meteorite whose origin could be traced to 29 million years ago.
Tutankhamun's jewellery, ranging from intricately designed necklaces and bracelets to headdresses and amulets, showcases the exceptional artistry that defined ancient Egyptian jewellery.
To have the opportunity to see these jewels in person has been an incredible experience for me. With a background in both jewellery design and making, I was able to appreciate the techniques and symbolism used in the pieces. Moreover, I am aware of the level of skill and effort required to create these masterpieces. If photography were allowed, I could spend an entire day in the gallery taking close-up photos.
Legend has it that Howard Carter faced a difficult decision upon discovering the king’s mummified body — whether to tear the jewels apart to preserve the body or vice versa. He ultimately chose to keep the jewels, and this decision has allowed us to appreciate the exceptional beauty of these imperial treasures.
If I were ever faced with a similar dilemma, having to choose between dismantling the jewels or damaging the mummy, I would not hesitate to choose the former. For me, the body is merely a vessel for the soul. Yet, the enduring beauty of these jewels provides us with a tangible connection to the past of once-glorious empire, one that now lives on through the exquisite craftsmanship of anonymous artisans.
Golden toe stalls and sandal of King Tutankhamun on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Image from the internet.
The writer’s visit to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo was made in January 2023. It’s said that the treasures of Tutankhamun will be moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum that is due to open this year.
This article is part of the series “Wander in Egypt”.
Reference:
Aucremanne, G. (2022, Nov) 1922 - 2022: The Treasures of Tutankhamun and his legacy in jewelry [video recording]. GemGenève. https://digital.gemgeneve.com/live-talks
Hawass, Z. (2018). King Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb. Thames & Hudson.