Ankhesenamen is featured quite prominently in the tomb, however. Her name appears with Tutankhamen's upon many boxes and chests in the tomb. Her name and image are also present on many personal objects for her young husband's tomb; the most touching of which is the "Little Golden Shrine," but that is not the only artistic representation of Nefertiti's third daughter. Ankhesenamen also appears on the famed golden throne of Tutankhamen, and twice on a lovely chest (one of my favorite items from the tomb). Many have also suggested that she was the model for the Isis, Selket, Neith, and Nephthys statues that protected Tutankhamen's canopic shrine. Let's look at some of these images...

The "Little Golden Shrine" is small indeed. It stands only about 1' 7.75" (50.5 cm) high, is 10.5 " (26.5cm) wide, and 1' .5" (32cm) deep. It is made of wood overlaid in gold foil, and is mounted on a silver incased sledge. It features 18 scenes of the royal couple. Some have suggested that it has 'ritual purposes', perhaps a commoration of the coronation. Mr. Nicholas Reeves suggests that the scenes portrayed the "role played by Ankhesenamun in the continued existence and sustenance of her husband in the next world" (Reeves, The Complete Tutankhamun). However, nowhere is the King referred to as "True of Voice" or "Justified" upon the Little Golden Shrine; those were the standard appellations for the dead. If it was contructed for the King's burial, surely he would have been referred to as such. Another suggestion, (from Bob Brier, author of the controversial The Murder of Tutankhamen) is that it was a gift to Tutankhamen from his wife: "her love letter written in gold." Although the hopeless romantic in my wants to believe that, the true purpose of the Little Golden Shrine may never be clear to modern eyes.

This is one of the 18 panels from the Little Golden Shrine. It portrays Pharaoh Tutankhamen sitting in a chair (or throne), with an arm informally over the back. Queen Ankhesenamen carries flowers and ugents in one hand, and with the other gently touches Tutankhamen's arm. Some of interpreted this as Ankhesenamen anoiting him with perfume or something else along those lines.

This is one of my favorites! In this scene, Tutankhamen is again sitting down, and his arm is still informally over the back. This time, Ankhesenamen bends towards him and ties a collar or necklace around his neck. Directly behind the queen there are some hieroglyphics that read: "The King's Great Wife, Lady of the Two Lands, Ankhesenamen, may she live like Re forever eternally."

Tutankhamen holds lotuses and mandrakes (symbols of love. Aw...) in one hand, and pours some liquid (perfume?) into Ankhesenamen's waiting hand. She again sits on a cushion, her body facing away from the King but her face turned to him, with an arm resting casually on Tutankhamen's knees. Tutankhamen sits on a folding stool and wears the blue "war-crown."

Here is one of the most frequently reproduced images from the Little Golden Shrine. Tutankhamen sits on a folding stool with a lion (?) cub at his side. The King aims his bow. Ankhesenamen sits on a cushion at his feet, holding his next arrow in one hand, and pointing to the frightened ducks with the other.

Another famous image of Tutankhamen and Ankhesenamen is that from the golden throne of the boy-king. The Golden Throne is 3' 5" (1.04m) high. It is made of wood overlaid with gold leaf (and some silver!). It is inlaid with various colored glasses and semi-precious stones, as well as faience. It, along with Tutankhamen's mask, is one of the most recognizable objects from the tomb (one of my world history teachers had a big poster of it... I almost asked her for it at the end of the year).

Some suggest that Tutankhamen and Ankhesenamen were not the couple originally portrayed on the throne. Some evidence of this is that Ankhesenamen's wig has been altered: her ribbon does not attach as it should. Also, the names have been altered in some of the inscriptions. However, these changes could represent that abandonment of Atenism; their names changed from Tutankhaten and Ankhesenpaaten to Tutankhamen and Ankhesenamen; and the queen's wig may have been adjusted since, as a daughter of Akhenaten, her head may have been portrayed as elongated, perhaps the return to orthodoxy also marked the return of Ankhesenpaaten/Ankhesenamen's head to a normal shape.

Ahh... the image that really got me interested in Tutankhamen, Ankhesenamen, and the Amarna period in general. Not only do I adore the colors, but the image is so sweet! Tutankhamen gently leans on a walking stick (some think that portryals of him with walking sticks -- along with number present in his tomb -- hint that the young king was ill. Maybe he just collected them?) and raises a hand to his wife in greeting. Ankhesenamen (who is wearing a very nifty wig), offers flowers to her husband, again possibly as symbols of love.