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Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation
The Howard Carter Archives
Photographs by Harry Burton
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Carter No.: 578

Handlist description: Boat and pedestal (calcite)

Card/Transcription No.: 578-1


578. BOAT AND PEDESTAL (CALCITE) 1

POSITION: Resting on floor S.W. corner of chamber. (See photos 1149, 1150.)

DIMENSIONS: Max. L. of boat 58.3; Max. H. (including pavilion) 37.0; Max. W. of beam 14.0 cents. Max. L. of pedestal (i.e. cornice) 48.5; Max. H. 30.0; Max. W. (i.e. cornice) 26.5, cents. Max. H. (including pedestal to top of pavilion) 66.8, cents.

DESCRIPTION: An ornamental boat upon a pyloniform pedestal, carved of semi-translucent calcite, engraved and decorated with thin gold, green, red, and blue pigments.

It represents a carvel-built boat, with round bottom, stem and stern rising in a curved line and terminating with head and neck of ibexes, having inlaid collars of gold. The bulwarks (0.3 cents high) show a main deck 38.0 cents long, with amidships a tall pavilion, recalling the famous kiosk, sometimes called "Pharaoh's Bed", at Philae. Four floral columns support the roof; of shrine-shape, having architrave (frieze), torus moulding and cavetto-cornice,

Card no. 578-1 relating to Carter no. 578
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Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation
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