Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs: Royal Canopic Bust

This canopic bust (part of a canopic jar), said to depict Tutankhamun wearing the nemes headdress, is made from alabaster (calcite) and has been highlighted with black and red paint. Is one of four used as stoppers in Tutankhamun's alabaster canopic chest, which held four canopic containers – in this case gold coffinettes. The chest and coffinettes were originally made for Smenkhare and were adapted to hold Tutankhamun's viscera.

Shortly after Tutankhamun's reign, late in the 18th dynasty, it became common to use the four genii, or 'sons of hours, as canopic stoppers': the human-headed Imsety (who is linked to Isis and the south cardinal) protected the liver, the ape-headed Hapy (linked to Nephthys and the north cardinal) protected the lungs, the jackal-headed Duamutef (linked to Neith and the east cardinal) protected the stomach, and the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef (linked to Serket and the west cardinal) protected the intestines.