Contextual Influences in Art and Design: Tutankhamun (Design)

Tutankhamun's tomb

Tutankhamun was the most famous pharaoh/ king in Egypt. He pharaoh died at a very young age. The reason of his death isn’t certain and diseases or infections might have caused his death, also there was found broken bones in his mummy. His tomb was found by Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings on the 4^th November 1922. All objects found in his tomb are all very wealthy which were buried with his body for his ‘afterlife’, which the Egyptians used to believe in, and they put all those things with his body in the tomb to have the same life after his death. The objects might have been used by Tutankhamun during his life. His body was mummified with a golden mask in his head, in a wealthy, artistic coffin.

All these objects found in this tomb are all impressive and amazing in its wealth and artistic decoration which shows their dedication, patience and skills.

Tutankhamun’s coffin (1327 BC)

Tutankhamun was mummified, with his head covered with a gold mask. The coffin has the form of a mummy’s bandages of the King’s. His head and arms are represented as in real life in his hands there are the crook and flail, the insignia of god Osiris. The coffin is made out of different materials such as sheets of gold of about 0.3cm thick, semiprecious stones and glass. It weighs more than 110kg.

Tutankhamun’s Coffin

Tutankhamun's Mask

The coffin’s relief has a lot of meanings and important symbols from the life of Tutankhamun because he used to wear the well known headdress which is represented by its stripes on the coffin, more important things were represented on the coffin are a ceremonial beard, a broad collar and two necklaces. There are also different gods on the coffin. One of the goddess represented on the coffin as a feathers wrapped around Tutankhamen was the goddess Nut.

In my opinion this coffin is very impressive and breathtaking in all its artistic way. It is a piece of art which had been made by hand, which I really admire and appreciate that fact. Behind all the detail it has, there was a dedicated artist/s which we should appreciate and respect. They also managed to put interesting colours which made more the coffin to stand out. It consists of a lot of different lines which varies from curved to straight lines... I’m also really amazed by the textures created especially of the textures of the arms.

These images below are all objects which were found in the tomb of Tutankhamun.