Will Noble

Tutankhamun's Dazzling Treasures Coming To London In November

The largest collection of King Tutankhamun's treasures ever to travel out of Egypt, comes to London this winter.

Over 150 original artefacts from the Golden Pharaoh's dazzling tomb go on display at Chelsea's Saatchi Gallery on 2 November. These include a gilded wooden bed, an ornate gilded shrine, Tutankhamun's lotus-shaped wishing cup, and his gold inlaid canopic coffinette.

A gilded shrine depicting scenes of Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun

60 of the pieces have never left Egypt before, although King Tut's iconic death mask has previously been deemed too fragile to travel, and won't feature.

The boy king's bling tomb of treasures dates back 3,000 years, and was uncovered by London archeologist Howard Carter in 1922. The incredible find stirred up 'Egyptomania' in England, infusing the art and architecture of the Roaring Twenties with ancient Egyptian motifs. It's fitting that this show is in Kensington; that's where Carter was born, and where he died prematurely in 1939.

A gold 'mummy band' inlaid with carnelian, lapis and glass

Tutankhamun's treasures finally first went on display in London in 1972, at the British Museum, with 1.7 million people queuing for hours for a glimpse. The artefacts returned to the then-Millennium Dome in 2007, with the Guardian citing 'expensive' ticket prices, at around £15. The entry fee this time is £28.50 (full price adult, peak time) — a price that the King of Bling himself might balk at. Still this is now a once in a lifetime opportunity.

A statue of Tutankhamun

London is the third stop on a 10-country tour for this exhibition. When it ends, the artefacts will go on permanent display at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh, Saatchi Gallery, 2 November 2019-3 May 2020. Peak time tickets £28.50, on sale now

Images © IMG