Chair of Princess Sitamun

Chair of Princess Sitamun

Wood, partially gilded and silver-plated

Found in the tomb (KV 46)

Elegant in its simplicity, yet rich in decorative detail, this beautiful chair is one of the greatest treasures found in the tomb of Yuya and Thuya. It was given to them by their granddaughter, Sitamun, who is represented twice on the back. Sitamun was the daughter of Amenhotep III and Tiye, and became queen to her father late in his reign.

Grafted of one wood and veneered with another, more precious one (perhaps walnut), the various pieces of this chair are joined with mortices and tenons. The legs are in the shape of lion's limbs, ending in paws that rest atop trapezoidal pieces plated with silver. The seat of the chair, given extra support by a piece of wood placed underneath, is of braided string woven in a herringbone pattern.

The low back and arms are decorated with gold. In Front of each arm is the bust of a queen, her low crown also covered with gold. The outer face of the left armrest is decorated with three dancing figures of the grotesque god of amusement and protector of the household, Bes. The outer Bes figures hold tambourines; the central one grasps a boomerang. On the right armrest are two additional figures of Bes, one with a tambourine and the other with two knives; between them is Tawaret, a blend of hippopotamus, lion, crocodile, and human who served as goddess of childbirth. This figure is unusual in that the goddess has a leonine rather than her usual hippopotamus head. On the inner surface of each arm are four female offering-bearers with rosette or lotus flower crowns carrying platters heaped with rings of gold.

The decoration on the inner part of the backrest consists of two identical and symmetrical scenes. In each, the princess sits on a chair similar in shape to the one shown here, which in turn rests on a papyrus mat. In one hand she holds a menat necklace, in the other a sistrum, both implements associated with the cult of Hathor. On her head is a clump of marsh plants; the inscription above identifies her as "Daughter of the king, whom he loves, Sitamun." An attendant stands in front of her chair, offering her a broad collar on a platter. According to the accompanying inscriptions, she is "bringing gold from the southern foreign lands," a reference to Nubia. Protecting the princess is a winged sun disk, an image of Horus of Idfu. The back of the chair is marked with a feather pattern in silver and reinforced with three struts. Patterns of wear indicate that the chair was used before it was placed in the tomb.

The decoration of this chair, which includes many figures of the household deities Tawaret and Bes, suggests to some scholars that it was used in the princess's private apartments. Alternatively, it may have had a ceremonial function, as it refers to the bringing of gold as tribute from Nubia and may have been made for a state occasion such as a Sed Festival.

Reference:

Text from the book Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of the Pharaohs, by Zahi Hawass, National Geographic, 2005