Artifacts from King Tut's tomb are currently on display through March 28th at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.
Locals may recall that a dazzling installation of select objects were first exhibited at the respected art institution about thirty-years ago.
In its current incarnation it returns as:
Tutankhamun: the Golden Age of the Paraohs
When I was in Dallas last year covering a film festival, I was fortunate to catch the dazzling display which consists of 130 important historical objects (50 from the Tomb of King Tut) which are supplemented with 80 objects from tombs of Tut ancestors (placing the legendary ruler in a larger context according to curators).
Tutankhamun was born in approximately 1341 BC.
The "boy" King was known as Tutankhaten which means "Living Image of Aten".
King Tut had five official names that reflected divine roles set down by the Pharaohs.
Each of his names defined a sacred function that was overseen by the Gods.
King Tut's full name consisted of a birth name, protected name, Horus name, Golden Horus name and throne name.
Birth Name:
Sa Ra (“son of the Sun”), Tutankhaten (“the living image of Aten”) later changed to Tutankhamun (“the living image of Amun”)
In his role as Horus he was bestowed the title:
Heru: Ka Nakht, Tut Mesut (“Horus: Strong bull, of perfect birth”)
His name under the protection of Nekhebet and Wadjet was:
Nebty: Nefer Hepu Segereh Taui (“He of the Good Laws, Who Pacifies the Two Lands”)
Golden Horus name (identifying kinship to the Gods as son on earth):
Heru Nebu: Wetches Khau Sehotep Neteru
(“He who Wears the Crowns and Satisfies the Gods”)
Throne name:
Nesu Bity (“King of upper & lower Egypt”) and Nebkheperura (“all the transformations of Ra”)
King Tut reigned during one of the most chaotic periods in the history of Egypt.
Akhenaten, Tutankhamun's father, was known as the heretic King.
The religious ideas of his father radically changed Ancient Egypt from a polytheistic religion (worshipping many gods) to monotheism (the worship of one God - the Aten - depicted as the sun disc).
The Ancient Egyptians worshipped the same Gods for thousands of years.
The Egyptians were forced to abandon their old Gods and Akhenaten used the might of the Egyptian army to enforce these ideas and destroy the old religion and its priesthood.
The powerful priests of Amun were expected to worship the sole God Aten.
Akhenaten ordered that all images of all other Gods be destroyed.
Tutankhamun became Pharaoh at nine years of age.
In the same year, Tutankhamun married Ankhesenpaaten, his half sister (who was the third daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti).
His regent was Ay who was also the Grand Vizier (the father of Nefertiti and the grandfather of Ankhesenpaaten, the wife of Tutankhamun).
His General of the Armies was Horemheb (designated heir to the throne).
The great military commander, General Horemheb, was designated as the Tut's "Deputy, and was recognized as heir to Tutankhamun until the pharaoh produced children.
The marriage of Tutankhamun and Ankhesenpaaten produced at least two daughters who were stillborn.
At one point, the Royal court moved back to the old capital at Thebes which was the center of worship of the God Amun and the power base of the Amun priests.
Because of a growing backlash against the new religion, the young pharaoh changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun (while Queen Ankhesenpaaten changed her name to Ankhesenamun).
Tutankhamun commissioned various building works at this time including the restoration of some temple properties at Karnak and Thebes.
King Tut died unexpectedly at the age of eighteen.
He reigned for just nine years and the cause of his death still remains a mystery.
He was buried in a hastily prepared tomb in the Valley of the Kings seventy days after his death, according to the spiritual rituals of the Egyptians.
According to legend, anyone who disturbed Tut's tomb would face catastrophe by virtue of a curse.
50% off Student Admission
Present a borders rewards card or Flat Anubis at King Tut ticket office and students (6-17) recent passes for half-price.
Applicable Dates
January 5th / February 6th
(Tuesday thru Friday)
Info: deyoungmuseum.org/tut
Dallas Museum Exhibition
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