Cartouche Box
Of the dozens of wooden boxes and chests of various sizes buried in the tomb, none escaped ransacking by the grave robbers in antiquity. Containing everything from linens and sandals to trinkets and cosmetics, 4 of these boxes were designed in the shape of a royal cartouche, representing a knotted loop of rope (a symbol of eternity) encircling the name of an exalted figure. The cartouche applied in ebony and ivory on the gilded wooden lid of this jewelry box signifies the pharaoh’s nomen and titular: Tutankhamun, Ruler of Heliopolis of upper Egypt. As with most of his coffers, the box was originally secured with a cord which was wound around the 2 adjacent knobs and stamped with a seal. Hastily repacked by the necropolis staff after the ancient robbery, it was believed by Howard Carter to have once held some of the pharaoh’s sacred coronation regalia. Found in the Treasury, the case contained a number of pieces of jewelry including a pair of large gold earrings, ornaments typically abandoned by young princes upon reaching manhood.
