There are some stories that you are told as a child which are so mysterious and fascinating that they remain with you throughout your life and occasionally pop into your consciousness and come flooding back. The story of Tutankhamen is one of those for me.
I remember as a young child being taken to the Tutankhamun exhibition at the British Museum in the early 1970s and being told this amazing story of how his burial chamber was found and how there was a curse put on the team who discovered it. At that point there had been some deaths among the team but I have since learned that the curse story was all a massive media stunt. A bit disappointing but a relief for the families of their descendants no doubt.
The 1972 exhibition was a huge event and the highlight was the gold death mask, inlaid with lapis lazuli, obsidian and quartz. Truly stunning. It spawned a lot of merchandise, everyone was cashing in on its popularity there were dresses, stamps, plates and even makeup depicting Tutankhamun.
The exhibition that is currently on at the Saatchi gallery in London Tutankhamun – Treasures of the Golden Pharoah, sadly doesn’t have the mask on display but it does have an amazing selection of artefacts gathered from the tomb. Even though they are over three thousand years old the preservation of these items means they are in immaculate condition and the craftsmanship is quite spectacular.
There is also a really interesting timeline showing pictures from the discovery of the tomb, the reveal and the whole process of sifting through so many items, preserving and cataloguing them. There is also some press around the 1972 exhibition showing what a massive event it was and how it really gripped the nation. Definitely worth a visit if you are around London.
This post is not sponsored and I purchased the tickets.