Sphinx painting box on Tutankhamun's wooden coffin

Sphinx painting box on Tutankhamun's wooden coffin

Symbols of Egyptian protection appear on a colored wooden chest found in Tutankhamun's tomb It appears on a colored wooden chest excavated from a tomb in Room 1 of Tutankhamun's tomb now on display in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo Circa 1332–1323 BC 18th Dynasty In this magnificent scene the young king is transformed into a living sphinx resembling the sphinx that appeared on Tutankhamun's shield On the short side of Tutankhamun's chest are depicted sphinxes trampling their northern and southern enemies and on the colossal sphinx statue of Tutankhamun at the Karnak Temple the sphinx is offering a sacrifice The original statue with human arms and a vase facing Amun was restored to its original position after restoration King Tutankhamun as a sphinx tramples two of Egypt's enemies

 

Tutankhamun's wooden chest in the Sphinx symbol trampling enemies from the north and south 

Valley of the Kings Tutankhamun's tomb KV62, 18th Dynasty / image credit : ancient-egypt.co.uk

On this day 100 years ago December 27,1922 the first object was the “Painted Box” The paintings decorating Box 21 depict the king on his chariot fighting Asians and Nubians on the sides and Tutankhamun hunting on the lid The wooden box was removed from the royal tomb and moved to the tomb of King Seti II which serves as the excavation site’s conservation laboratory The Sphinx symbol the head of the main statue wears the Nemes headdress of Tutankhamun the god has a human head and wears a protective shield on a medium-sized limestone statue the body has a short tail Pigment from Saqqara

On the back of Nemesis the face is carved broadly with a cobra on the forehead The protective base is almost entirely black under the statue is a limestone buttress to support the statue on the base with the right front leg forward both front legs resting on snakes curled behind The god has a human head and wears a protective shield Many of these objects are clearly inscribed with his name The restoration of his cult is recorded on tablets restoring the cult of Amun at Thebes The battle on the painted casket in the tomb a classical battle of ancient Egypt shows Tutankhamun participating in the war He is depicted as a sphinx trampling his enemies Androsphynx a combination of a man and a lion with wings a falcon usually a man a benevolent protector with a human head and a lion's body The god of the dawn