The boy king Tutankhamen represented as the Netjer (god) carved out of diorite between 1336 and 1327 BCE. This statue is carved in the round from a block of very dark diorite. The “polish”, as impeccable as it is admirable, given to it by the sculptor seems to have attenuated its dark side, even giving it a shiny appearance.
The statuary of Tutankhamen represented as the god Amun, seated on a cubic throne, with his hands resting as a sign of protection. The face of the Boy King, in an exceptional state of preservation, is perfectly symmetrical; he has an expression that is both gentle and distant at the same time. “Theban (Wasetian) Amun is represented here in his canonical form, that is to say with his human face and the crown that characterizes him, made of a flat mortar surmounted by high feathers”.
Amun, the Hidden One was considered to be the God of all Gods within the Kemetic Pantheon. His birthplace was the Holy Mountain of Jebel Barkal located in the Kingdom of Kush in modern day Sudan. Amun and Amaunet are mentioned in the Old Kemetic Pyramid Texts. The name Amun (written imn) meant something like "the hidden one" or "invisible", which is also attested by epithets found in the Pyramid Texts "O You, the great god whose name is unknown".
Amun rose to the position of tutelary deity of Waset (Thebes) after the end of the First Intermediate Period, under the 11th Dynasty. As the patron of Waset, his spouse was Mut. In Waset, Amun as father, Mut as mother, and the Moon god Khonsu as their son formed the divine family or the "Wasetian Triad", known as the Theban Triad to Greeks and modern Egyptians.
One of the puzzles that has most vexed historians and scientists alike is how Tut died. Theories have abounded ever since British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Tut’s tomb in 1922. Some suspect that he was murdered or died from malaria or another devastating disease. According to Prof. Christian Meyer and Dr. Christian Timmann, new studies show King Tut actually died from sickle-cell disease, not malaria. Sickle cell disease is a rare genetic blood disorder most common in Black Africans and people of African decent.
King Tutankhamen left behind an untouched tomb filled with fantastic treasure, ceremonial artworks and beautiful wall reliefs which illustrate the ingenuity and of the 18th Dynasty and the cultural, scientific and artistic brilliance which remains unrivaled in the ancient world.
"My latest rendition of King Tutankhamen was rendered by making slight modifications in line with this beautiful and detailed statue that I was able to photograph in the Louvre. This statue, which was new to me, shows Tutankhamen in the form of Amen, and more advanced in age than many of his depictions, certainly late teens at very youngest, possibly older.
Fortunately, is hasn't changed my last reconstruction substantially, only enhanced it. I truly believe that I'm very close to the true visage of the King, especially given how much it corresponds with his hundreds of depictions.
I'll be following up with a bonus age adjusted version of this reconstruction.
Which African ethnic group do you think King Tut most closely resembles?"
Statue discovered by Auguste Mariette in Karnak in 1857
Collection of Prince Napoleon then Maison Feuardent
Acquired by the Louvre Museum in February 1920 – E 11609
"King of Upper Kemet…Beautiful is the Ka-Soul of Ra who appears in Waset"
"I have not spoken angrily or arrogantly. I have not cursed anyone in thought, word or deeds." ~35th & 36th Principals of Ma'at
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