Tut Exhibit - King Tutankhamun Exhibit, Collection: Jewelry - Flying Vulture Pectoral representing King Tutankhamun

The Tutankhamun Exhibit

Jewelry and Ornamentation

Flying Vulture Pectoral


Flying Vulture Pectoral

It may have been to commemorate her connection with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt that Nekhbet, more often than any other goddess, is represented wearing the atef crown, itself a symbol of rulership over the Two Lands. She is shown with it in this gold pectoral; the symbolism is enhanced by the central portion of the crown being formed like the regular crown of Upper Egypt. Her body, wings, and tail are all inlaid with lapis lazuli, apart from the lesser coverts of the wings, which are inlaid with carnelian. The shen signs grasped in her talons are inlaid with red and blue glass. Five small rings for suspension straps are attached to the chased underside of the figure. In style, this pectoral has no close parallel among the objects of its kind from the tomb. The head, neck, and crown are represented in the round, but the body and tail give the impression of being in relief. That it was found in a box in the treasury, and not on the king's mummy, supports the supposition that it was the king's personal possession used in his lifetime.

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