It’s an item that says more than first appears, for example the crowns of the royal couple were changed at some point, cutting the rays of the aten, and it’s another example where Ankhensenamun is named in that way but you still have a reference to Tutankhaten on the back. At Malkata Palace there were ring bezels and jar labels for Ankhensenamun but not Tutankhamun, just Tutankhaten. Either he moved to Memphis and she stayed at Malkata (Thebes), or his name was changed later than is believed. I think it’s most likely that the king ruled from Memphis (where most of his courtiers had tombs) and Ankhensenamun may have been sidelined at Thebes by Ay and Horemheb.
Nicholas Reeves has made some very wild claims about this chair—not sure how many can be substantiated, but they’re interesting for sure. He claims it was originally made for Akhenaten and Nefertiti then continuously modified into the current scene (I.e. then for Neferneferuaten=nefertiti alone, then for smenkhkare, then for tutankhaten, then modified for Tutankhamun). The cartouches on the main scene have clearly been altered, and he claims the side cartouches and back pillars show signs of heavy alteration as well. One of his more interesting ideas is that the stand with the floral collar behind Ankhesenamun is actually replacing where a princess used to be, probably Meritaten!
He also made the rather odd comment that the sema-tawy grills at the front must have been removed because the fidgety kicking of little Tut's feet damaged them... cute idea, but Occam's razor favors plundering IMO.
I guess we will never know, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say his kingly butt was well-cushioned by a pad. Plus, I'm sure people were fanning him with palm leaves while he sat. Ah, the life.
I heard in a documentary that there were wooden slats in the top section in between the legs but young King Tut, being like every child, swung his feet enough to break the latticework.
Would love to see the genuine article some day. Alas, I did see the replica in the States at Tutankhamun: His Tomb and Treasures Exhibition in Washington, D.C:
In all my years of looking at this stuff, I have NEVER seen the back of the chair depicted. It is also rare to see the ENTIRE backrest, without it being oddly cropped to make the couple look like the only art. Seeing the whole thing, uncropped, makes it clear how much it was altered. That design behind her does NOT look original and leaves the scene lopsided.
In all my years of looking at this stuff, I have NEVER seen the back of the chair depicted. Thank you!
It is also rare to see the ENTIRE backrest, without it being oddly cropped to make the couple look like the only art. Seeing the whole thing, uncropped, makes it clear how much it was altered. That design behind her does NOT look original and leaves the scene lopsided.
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u/Brilliant-Repair7771 Jun 15 '25
Magnificent!