The Mummy returns – and this time he’s brought his boomerang
Tutankhamun’s treasures are coming back to the UK... for the f inal time
WHEN treasures from Tutankhamun’s tomb came to the UK half a century ago, 1.7 million people queued for hours to see them at the British Museum. Next month, the Boy King returns and the crowds are again expected to be vast.
Fittingly for a touring exhibition that will return to a permanent display at the vast new Grand Egyptian Museum, near the pyramids of Giza, the 150 artefacts – many never seen before – include a boomerang.
The ten-city show, which last month became the most-visited exhibition in French history, opens at the Saatchi Gallery in London on November 2.
Treasures Of The Golden Pharaoh will feature the largest number of Tutankhamun artefacts to leave Egypt, including rings and bracelets found in the mummy’s linen sheets by Howard Carter in 1922.
The golden death mask that formed the centrepiece of the British Museum’s famous exhibition in 1972 is not returning.
It has been declared an official icon of Egypt and must remain in the country.
The new show’s organisers, which include the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, say the exhibition will be the last opportunity to see the treasures outside Egypt.
Archaeologist Dr Zahi Hawass, an adviser on the show, said: ‘There is no civilisation which has this amount of wealth. This is why it is a fascinating civilisation still.’
Four of the five gold rings found on the back of the king’s hands and four of the 13 bracelets found on his forearms will take centre stage during the exhibition.
It is not known if these items were worn by the king during his lifetime – he reigned for only ten years after acceding to the throne at the age of eight or nine in 1332 BC – or whether they were designed for the afterlife.
By contrast, experts are convinced that other items were specifically
designed to protect the king after his death. These include four boomerangs – elaborate versions of the weapons used during Tutankhamun’s reign for hunting and warfare.
It is believed they were buried with the king so he could use them to ‘slay’ the forces of ‘chaos’ which awaited him on the other side.
Similarly, necklaces made of sheet gold found around the king’s neck are too delicate to be worn in everyday life. One of the most striking artefacts is a life-sized statue of the king which is one of a pair which stood on either side of the burial chamber.
Tutankhamun: Treasures Of The Golden Pharaoh opens at the Saatchi Gallery on November 2 and runs until May 3. Peak-time tickets are £28.50 for adults and £19.50 for children aged 12 or under.