The innermost coffin of Tutankhamun is a highly significant artifact from ancient Egypt, made entirely of solid gold and weighing approximately 110.4 kilograms (243 pounds). Both the interior and exterior are adorned with intricate inscriptions and decorative motifs, including the king’s names, epitaph, and protective texts. It is inlaid with semiprecious stones and colored glass, reflecting the exceptional craftsmanship of the 18th Dynasty.

Shaped in the likeness of Osiris, the coffin depicts Tutankhamun holding the sacred heka scepter and flail. The vulture and uraeus (rearing cobra) guard his forehead, while a divine beard, inlaid with blue glass, completes the regal imagery. The coffin is further protected by winged deities of Upper and Lower Egypt, whose outstretched wings symbolize divine guardianship.

This innermost coffin is the third of three nested mummiform coffins that held the king’s body. Inside lay Tutankhamun’s mummy, his head covered with the famous gold funerary mask. Today, the mummy rests in the outermost coffin within the tomb at Thebes, while the inner and middle coffins were transferred to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo shortly after the tomb’s discovery. The outermost gilded coffin remains in KV62.

The tomb of Tutankhamun, located in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of Luxor, measures approximately 6 by 4 meters. The burial chamber housed a rectangular quartzite sarcophagus decorated with the four protective deities of Egypt. The three nested anthropoid coffins inside depict the king in the Osirian pose, creating a dramatic visual story of death, protection, and rebirth.

Discovered in November 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter, the tomb captured global attention and fascination. Tutankhamun, known as the Golden Pharaoh, was a king of the 18th Dynasty, and his unexpected early death has intrigued historians and the public for decades. The discovery offered unparalleled insights into New Kingdom funerary practices, art, and beliefs.

The gold coffin of Tutankhamun is celebrated as a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian craftsmanship, renowned for its beauty, artistry, and symbolic significance. Its discovery, along with the treasures of KV62, has provided invaluable knowledge about the culture, religion, and artistic achievements of ancient Egypt.

New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Tutankhamun, ca. 1332–1323 BC. From the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62), Valley of the Kings, West Thebes. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 60671.