TUTANKHAMEN’S WIFE.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 January 1928, Page 3

TUTANKHAMEN’S WIFE.

CASTS OF HEAD TAKEN

WELLINGTON, J*”>- 14

Although half forgotten already, the nine days’ wonder connected with the opening of Tutankhamen’s tomb in Egypt is being recalled in New Zealand by the receipt by the Dominion Museum of a portrait ol the head of the daughter of Akhonalen.

Egyptian history records that ’I utankhamen married the daughter of Akhcnaten, .so the head is either that of the king’s wife or that of his sister-in-law.

ft was in the winter of 1926-27 that the Egyptian Exploration Society unearthed at Tel-el-amara a statuary group showing Akhenaten and his queen enthroned, with all the little princesses in front of them. Similar groups had been found before, but the workmanship of this one ranks exceptionally high and the delicate modelling and perfect finish, in spite of the refractory nature of the material, makes it a work of art. The museum at Cairo retains the original, but casts, coloured like the original, were made of the bead of one of the princesses and two of those have been sent out to New Zealand, one for Wellington and one for Auckland. The bead is the size of that of a biggish (1011, and hardly coincides with present day ideals of beauty, the back of the skull being unduly prominent. Little fault, however, can lie found with the delicate fcaimcH.

The* Egyptian Exploration Society depends for its activities upon the support accorded it by museum and private individuals in all parts of the world. According to what it receives so does it give. In view of the support in the* past, and. perhaps, sensing favours to come, those casts have boon forwarded to New Zealand from the society’s headquarters in London.