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Notes
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This Harry Burton photograph, taken on 29th October 1925, is the first photograph of Tutankhamun's famous gold mask, which has become the most iconic object from the tomb. Howard Carter describes the King's face as bearing a 'sad but tranquil expression' and 'suggestive of youth overtaken prematurely by death'. The mask is shown in its original context, covering Tutankhamun's head and upper chest, forming an integral part of the mummified figure of the king. Tutankhamun's mask is made from solid gold richly inlaid with thousands of pieces of coloured stone and glass. The king wears a striped nemes headdress with the vulture and uraeus insignia at the front, representing the goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nekhbet and Wadjet. The mask also features a ceremonial beard, a broad collar decorated with cloisonné bead-work, and a triple-strand necklace covering the King's neck.
Title
Tutankhamun's Mask
Date
1925 & 2015
Medium
digital scan
Accession number
Burton p0744 colour
Acquisition method
original glass plate negative, gift, 1946; digital scan, commissioned and presented to the Griffith Institute, 2015
Work type
Digital art