characterize figures of the Amarna period. The pharaoh, his wife,
and three of their daughters bask in the life-giving rays of Aton, the
sun disk. The mood is informal and anecdotal. Akhenaton lifts one
of his daughters in order to kiss her. Another daughter sits on Nefer-
titi’s lap and gestures toward her father while the youngest daughter
reaches out to touch a pendant on her mother’s crown. This kind of
intimate portrayal of the pharaoh and his family is unprecedented in
Egyptian art. The political and religious revolution under Akhen-
aton was matched by an equally radical upheaval in art.
The Tomb of Tutankhamen
and the Post-Amarna PeriodThe most famous figure of the Post-Amarna period is Tutankhamen
(r. 1333–1323 BCE), who was probably Akhenaton’s son by a minor
wife. Tutankhamen ruled for a decade and died at age 18. (Although
some people speculated foul play, examination of the king’s mummy
in 2005 ruled out murder.) Tutankhamen was a very minor figure in
Egyptian history, however. The public remembers him today solely
because in 1922 Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, discovered
the boy-king’s tomb with its fabulously rich treasure of sculpture,
furniture, and jewelry largely intact.
TOMB OF TUTANKHAMENThe principal item that Carter
found in Tutankhamen’s tomb is the enshrined body of the pharaoh
himself. The royal mummy reposed in the innermost of three
coffins, nested one within the other. The innermost coffin (FIG.
3-34) was the most luxurious of the three. Made of beaten gold
(about a quarter ton of it) and inlaid with semiprecious stones such
as lapis lazuli, turquoise, and carnelian, it is a supreme monument to
the sculptor’s and goldsmith’s crafts. The portrait mask (FIG. 3-1),
which covered the king’s face, is also made of gold with inlaid semi-
precious stones. It is a sensitive portrayal of the serene adolescent
king dressed in his official regalia, including the nemes headdress
and false beard. The general effects of the mask and of the tomb
treasures as a whole are of grandeur and richness expressive of
Egyptian power, pride, and affluence.
3-33Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and three daughters,
from Amarna, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1353–1335
bce.Limestone, 1^1 – 4 high. Ägyptisches Museum,
Berlin.
In this sunken relief the Amarna artist provided a rare
intimate look at the royal family in a domestic setting.
Akhenaton, Nefertiti, and three of their daughters
bask in the life-giving rays of Aton, the sun disk.3-34Innermost coffin of
Tutankhamen, from his tomb
at Thebes, Egypt, 18th
Dynasty, ca. 1323 bce.Gold
with inlay of enamel and
semiprecious stones, 6 1 long.
Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
The boy-king Tutankhamen’s
fame today is due to the
discovery of his treasure-
laden tomb. His mummy
was encased in three nested
coffins. The innermost one,
made of gold, portrays the
pharaoh as Osiris.The New Kingdom 751 in.1 ft.