AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

This poster discusses the conservation of one of Tutankhamun’s beds which dated back to the new kingdom. This bed is consisted of a gilded wooden frame and the middle of the bed was made of braided Halfa plant covered with gesso layer. The four legs of the bed were formed in the shape of lion paws. The ancient Egyptians depicted the paws of the lion in this bed perfectly to the extent carving lion's sharp nails precisely. Unfortunately, the middle part of the bed had separated partly due to dryness and weakness of the edges of the braided Halfa plant. Also, the bed suffered from previous conservation materials such as paraffin wax which covered many parts of the bed and was desperately in need for removal. For these reasons, the condition of the bed demanded a quick intervention with conservation procedures to reach a sustainable condition and restore its original shape. The surprise was finding that the nails of the lion paws in the four legs of the bed are made of silver according to the test applied by portable XRF analysis. Although, the legs of the bed were documented previously as made of wood only. This twist in information caused changes in the applied conservation plan of the bed.