We know him as TutankhAMUN. But when Egypt’s most famous child king came to the throne, he was called TutankhATEN. His father may have been the pharaoh Akhenaten, the founder of a new religion with the light of the sun disk, the Aten, as its sole deity. By changing his name from TutankhATEN to TutankhAMUN, the young king reestablished the importance of the god Amun. This signaled a return to the polytheism of former times.

In a way this charming sculpture implies all of those momentous changes. It is a coronation group. Look at the hand on top of Tutankhamun’s crown. It belongs to Amun, whose touch sanctifies the king. Originally, the group probably stood in Karnak temple, the center of Amun’s worship. It is an especially fine portrait. Tutankhamun’s plump cheeks and sweet mouth are fresh and innocent. His crown is rendered in exceptional detail: look at the ribbons or streamers that descend from the nape of the king’s neck. The sculpture is made of a very dense limestone similar to marble. Touches of black and red pigment suggest that the piece was once fully painted.