Small Golden Shrine of Tutankhamun
This miniature shrine, discovered in the antechamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb by Howard Carter in 1922, is one of the most intimate and finely crafted objects buried with the young king. The wooden structure is entirely sheathed in gold and decorated inside and out with exquisite raised reliefs.
On the exterior doors, the king and his queen, Ankhesenamun, are shown with scenes of deep tenderness, as well as hunting and enjoying life, framed by friezes of royal cartouches, floral motifs, and rekhyt birds; lapwings with human arms symbolising the people under the king’s rule. Each panel captures a different moment of devotion, where gestures of ritual and affection merge seamlessly.
An ebony pedestal inscribed with Tutankhamun’s name suggests the shrine once housed a statue, perhaps of the king himself or of the protective goddess Werethekau, “Great of Magic,” who is named in the accompanying texts.
More than a protective container, this small golden shrine is a golden jewel box of royal intimacy, its imagery weaving together affection, ritual, and divine blessing, a unique testament to the artistry and symbolism of the late 18th Dynasty.
Ankhesenamun and Tutankhamun, Love & Ritual
Amid the golden twilight of the 18th Dynasty, Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun appear less as distant monarchs than as a pair of tender souls, entwined in love and ritual. He, the boy-king restored to Egypt’s throne, and she, the graceful queen who stood beside him, are captured in scenes of playful devotion and exchanging gestures that blur the line between ceremony and affection.
In their gilded shrine, the two seem almost timeless, a youthful couple whose bond was painted not in conquest, but in the language of love, renewal, and eternal spring.
On one of the gilded panels of the small golden shrine, Tutankhamun is shown seated, extending a tray of lotus blossoms while clasping what appears to be the rounded fruit of the mandrake. Before him, Ankhesenamun pours liquid into the flowers, while holding another bouquet in her free hand.
At first glance, this is a scene of simple offering, yet the gesture may allude to a deeper, more sensual practice. In Egyptian banqueting and ritual imagery, lotuses were not merely symbols of rebirth: they were infused with wine or water to release their narcotic properties, producing a dreamy state of intoxication linked with the goddess Hathor. The act of pouring liquid into the blossoms, then, may represent a shared indulgence in this sacred “inebriation of Hathor,” a fusion of love, pleasure, and divine renewal.
That such a moment was immortalised in gold relief tells us how the Egyptians viewed this union of king and queen. Their intimacy was not only personal but cosmic; an enactment of fertility, joy, and regeneration, ensuring both the vitality of the monarch and the eternal cycle of rebirth. By recording the scene in so glorious a fashion, the artists elevated what might have been a private act into a timeless ritual, binding Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun together in a vision of sacred intoxication and marital devotion. Here, the golden surface transforms the fleeting pleasure of fragrance, wine, and flowers into an eternal symbol of love’s power to conquer death.
This panel depicts Ankhesenamun sat at the foot of her husband who is seated on a lion-footed stool, her tall double plume headdress rising above what appears to be a beaded cap crown adorned with a side-lock of youth. This hairstyle, usually associated with children and young princes, was also adopted by women in ritual contexts, especially when embodying or evoking youth, renewal, and rebirth. By combining the regal crown with the side-lock, the artist gives Ankhesenamun a dual role; she is the royal consort, crowned in splendour, elevated to the level of a goddess, yet she also embodies eternal youthfulness and regeneration, qualities essential for the king’s renewal in life and the afterlife.
This visual blending of symbols is reinforced by Tutankhamun’s gesture in the scene as he tips a vessel, pouring liquid onto her hand. The act can be read as one of anointing or libation, with the youthful queen receiving the king’s gift of life-giving libation; a moment of blessing, where the king sanctifies his queen. Her posture at his feet echoes ritual humility, but the exchange between them feels intimate, almost playful, blurring the line between sacred rite and personal tenderness. Together, their poses create a harmony of reciprocal rejuvenation: she offers the freshness of youth and devotion, he bestows divine vitality.
Here we see both figures are shown standing face to face. Ankhesenamun holds a sistrum, the sacred rattle of Hathor, together with a menat necklace, both powerful emblems of fertility, joy, and divine protection. She may also carry an incense burner, perfuming the moment with ritual fragrance. Tutankhamun stands opposite her, hand raised in acknowledgment. The imagery is steeped in Hathoric symbolism, presenting the queen not only as wife but also as priestess, banishing evil and bestowing vitality upon the king.
