Tutankhamun Masks
The Beard that Came Off.
Nearly a century after British Archaeologist Howard Carter discovered his final resting place, Tutankhamun, an Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty period known as the New Empire continues to fascinate us. His solid gold death mask is of equal interest and and one image that the majority of us can immediately identify.
The funerary mask is a work of art that is perhaps the most well known object from ancient Egypt. Fashioned from 2 layers of high-karat gold, the face represents the Pharaoh’s standard image. The Pharoah wears a nemes headcloth, topped by the royal insignia of a cobra and vulture, that symbolizes Tutankhamun's rule of both Upper and Lower Egypt. Intriguingly, the ears are pierced to hold earrings, a …show more content…
The beard once again fell off on August 2014, during a routine cleaning. It was hastily reattached using epoxy. When the epoxy dried on the face, museum officials used a spatula to remove the epoxy, scratching and damaging the 3, 300 year old mask in the process.
8 museum officials were charged with negligence and recklessly repairing the mask.
The patch-up job was finally fixed when a team of German-Egyptian specialists removed the alleged damage caused by the museum officials. During the nine week restoration, the epoxy was removed and the beard was once again attached to the mask using beeswax, which was often used as an adhesive for antiquities by ancient Egyptians.
However, during the restoration, the team discovered several secrets that the mask contained. There is a gold tube inside the royal beard, the structure most likely used as a means to attach the beard to the mask. The ancient Egyptians had also used beeswax originally used to attach the beard to the mask.
The famous burial mask is now on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo along with the other contents from Tutankhamun’s tomb. These items are the museum’s top exhibits and draw tourists
Nearly a century after British Archaeologist Howard Carter discovered his final resting place, Tutankhamun, an Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty period known as the New Empire continues to fascinate us. His solid gold death mask is of equal interest and and one image that the majority of us can immediately identify.
The funerary mask is a work of art that is perhaps the most well known object from ancient Egypt. Fashioned from 2 layers of high-karat gold, the face represents the Pharaoh’s standard image. The Pharoah wears a nemes headcloth, topped by the royal insignia of a cobra and vulture, that symbolizes Tutankhamun's rule of both Upper and Lower Egypt. Intriguingly, the ears are pierced to hold earrings, a …show more content…
The beard once again fell off on August 2014, during a routine cleaning. It was hastily reattached using epoxy. When the epoxy dried on the face, museum officials used a spatula to remove the epoxy, scratching and damaging the 3, 300 year old mask in the process.
8 museum officials were charged with negligence and recklessly repairing the mask.
The patch-up job was finally fixed when a team of German-Egyptian specialists removed the alleged damage caused by the museum officials. During the nine week restoration, the epoxy was removed and the beard was once again attached to the mask using beeswax, which was often used as an adhesive for antiquities by ancient Egyptians.
However, during the restoration, the team discovered several secrets that the mask contained. There is a gold tube inside the royal beard, the structure most likely used as a means to attach the beard to the mask. The ancient Egyptians had also used beeswax originally used to attach the beard to the mask.
The famous burial mask is now on display at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo along with the other contents from Tutankhamun’s tomb. These items are the museum’s top exhibits and draw tourists