Tutankhamun’s Pectoral

Pheabe

Ms. Hunt

Art History

9/19/11

Tutankhamun’s Pectoral

        From 1353 to 1335 BC, Akhenaten’s reign brought momentous change to Egypt. His rule marked the devotion to Aten, the solar disc aspect of the sun god Re-Horakhty. He increasingly grew hostile towards the traditional pantheon and erased all visible references to the old polytheistic religion. Akhenaten neglected the economy, foreign affairs, and the general well being of Egypt, focusing solely on the new religion. Akhenaten’s regime became corrupted and Tutankhamun was left with a country was rife with exploitation.  

        Tutankhamun inherited the throne in 1333 BC when he was only 8 years old. Under the influence of his principal advisor, Ay, and by the military commander-in-chief, Horemheb, he moved the administrative capital to Memphis and reinstated the old pantheon (based around Amun-Ra, the sun god) his father had abolished.  He changed his name from Tutankhamen to Tutankhamun, changing its meaning from “living image of Aten,” to “living image of Amun.” Tutankhamun died in 1323 BC, but his intended burial place in the West Valley had not begun, so he was hastily buried in the Valley of the Kings.

        Almost forgotten until the 1900’s, Tutankhamun resurfaced when American lawyer, Theodore Davis, excavated and found 30 tombs in the Valley of Kings. He discovered a small, undecorated chamber holding gold foil with the names of Tutankhamun and Ay. Davis concluded he had found the tomb of Tutankhamun. Archeologist, Howard Carter disagreed, and for five years he and Lord Carnarvon cleared the Valley of the Kings in search of Tutankhamun’s tomb. On November 4, 1922, they finally discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb. Amongst the vast treasures found on the tomb was a small highly decorated breast ornament.

        Dating to around 1330 BC, Carter found the pectoral in the north side of the Anubis shrine. At the very top of the ornament is a circular silver disk with applied gold images. The images depict the Pharaoh flanked by the moon god Thoth in the form of an ibis-headed man and the deity of the morning sun, Re-Horakhty. Tutankhamun’s restoration of the cult of Amun-Ra is shown by the illustration of the Pharaoh with Re-Horakhty. Completing the lunar barque is a thin horizontal crescent moon supported by the left eye of the falcon god, Horus. On either side of the eye of Horus is a cobra crowned with gold solar disk. This entire intricate design sits on top of a yellow-green Kheper scarab with decorated vulture wings. The tips of the wings and the forelegs hold up the upper portion of the ornament. From the scarab beetle’s body, claws extend downward diagonally, gripping two shen symbols. A lily is adorned on the left of the claws and to the right is a lotus. To the outermost side of each flower is a cobra with a solar disk on its head. Between the claws of the vulture-scarab is an ornate tail. Below the tail is a bar of contiguous circles, papyrus, and lotus emblems.