Floral Collar from Tutankhamun's Embalming Cache

Period:: New Kingdom

Dynasty:: Dynasty 18

Reign:: reign of Tutankhamun

Date:: ca. 1336–1327 B.C.

Geography:: From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Valley of the Kings, Embalming cache of Tutankhamun (KV 54), Davis/Ayrton excavations, 1907

Medium:: Papyrus, olive leaves, persea leaves, cornflowers, blue lotus petals, Picris flowers, nightshade berries, faience, linen

Dimensions:: Diam. 40 cm (15 3/4 in.); D.. 17 cm (6 11/16 in.); Diam. of faience disk beads 0.5 cm (3/16 in.)

Credit Line:: Gift of Theodore M. Davis, 1909

Accession Number:: 09.184.214

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 122

This remarkably preserved floral collar, from the funerary cache of Tutankhamun, was probably worn at a funeral banquet. Alternating rows of flower petals and blossoms, leaves, berries, and blue faience beads were sewn to a papyrus backing, and linen ties secured the collar around the wearer's neck. Some of the flora used in the Tutankhamun collars have been identified as olive leaves, cornflowers, and poppies. Several collars in the cache were bound around the edge with red cloth (09.184.215), and the resulting combination of red, blue, black, and green must have been very colorful and similar to the polychrome decoration on some of the terracotta vessels in same deposit (09.184.83).

Excavated by Theodore M. Davis in the Valley of the Kings (KV 54), 1907. Received by Davis in the division of finds. Given by Davis to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1909.

Hayes, William C. 1959. Scepter of Egypt II: A Background for the Study of the Egyptian Antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Hyksos Period and the New Kingdom (1675-1080 B.C.). Cambridge, Mass.: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 302.

Winlock, Herbert E. 2010. "Materials Used at the Embalming of King Tutankhamun." In Tutankhamun's Funeral, edited by Herbert E. Winlock and Dorothea Arnold. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, pp. 58, 60–61, figs. 62–64.

Timelines
Egypt, 2000-1000 B.C.

Tutankhamun's Funeral

Department

Egyptian Art (27,128)

Object Type / Material

Geographic Location

Date / Era

2000–1000 B.C. (20,100)

Floral Collars from Tutankhamun's Embalming Cache

Artist: Date: ca. 1336–1327 B.C.
Accession Number: 09.184.214–.216-related Date: ca. 1336–1327 B.C. Medium: 09.184.214: Papyrus, olive leaves, persea leaves, cornflowers, blue lotus petals, Picris flowers, nightshade berries, faience, linen 09.184.215: Papyrus, olive leaves, cornflowers, linen 09.184.216: Papyrus, olive leaves, persea leaves, nightshade berries, celery (?), faience, linen dyed red Accession: 09.184.214–.216-related On view in:Gallery 122

Floral collar from Tutankhamun's Embalming Cache

Artist: Date: ca. 1336–1327 B.C.
Accession Number: 09.184.216 Date: ca. 1336–1327 B.C. Medium: Papyrus, olive leaves, persea leaves, nightshade berries, celery (?), faience, linen dyed red Accession: 09.184.216 On view in:Gallery 122

Collar Necklace of Hapiankhtifi

Artist: Date: ca. 1981–1802 B.C.
Accession Number: 12.183.12 Date: ca. 1981–1802 B.C. Medium: Faience, blue green and black Accession: 12.183.12 On view in:Gallery 112

Floral Collars from Tutankhamun's Embalming Cache

Artist: Date: ca. 1336–1327 B.C.
Accession Number: 09.184.214–.216-related Date: ca. 1336–1327 B.C. Medium: 09.184.214: Papyrus, olive leaves, persea leaves, cornflowers, blue lotus petals, Picris flowers, nightshade berries, faience, linen 09.184.215: Papyrus, olive leaves, cornflowers, linen 09.184.216: Papyrus, olive leaves, persea leaves, nightshade berries, celery (?), faience, linen dyed red Accession: 09.184.214–.216-related On view in:Gallery 122

Floral collar from Tutankhamun's Embalming Cache

Artist: Date: ca. 1336–1327 B.C.
Accession Number: 09.184.215 Date: ca. 1336–1327 B.C. Medium: Papyrus, olive leaves, cornflowers, linen Accession: 09.184.215 On view in:Gallery 122