Pharaoh Tutankhamun — At Union Station

Union Station in Kansas City has managed to have another hit and just in time for its 100th year anniversary.  The train station (originally the Union Depot that opened in 1879) reopened as Union Station in 1914.  The building itself is an architectural beauty with wonderful ceilings and halls.  It is worth just walking through the public spaces and there are lots of opportunities for photos and history to explore throughout the building.

Currently in the Exhibit Hall  is The Discovery Of King Tut and I will say I was very impressed with the display.  They have reproduction from the tomb and I was astounded by the effort that went into reproducing the artifacts.  I would never have known they were not the real thing if I had not been told they were not the original artifacts.

To the right is an example of some of the artifacts you will see in the exhibit.  This is Tut’s Coronation Cartouche, which is not the name Tutankhaman but translates as “Lord of the many forms of Re”.  This image is from his throne that was located in his tomb.

The exhibit contains multiple copies of the reproductions.  The initial displays shows the artifacts as they were found in the various chambers of the tomb.  The goods were pretty much stacked on top of each other in the tomb.

Then the exhibit displays the large shrines, each made of wood, covered in plaster, carved, and then plated in gold.  There were actually four shrines, each nested one within the other.  And inside of all the shrines were the sarcophagi.  There were three of these, each also nested one inside the other, with the innermost one solid gold.

Numerous objects were included in Tut’s wraps, all with the intent to protect the pharaoh in the afterlife.   The objects in the collection range from an iron knife, to chariots, to models of ships, jewelery,  and statues of gods and the pharaoh.  In some cases, the originals have now been damaged and the reproductions allow you to see what they originally looked like.

Below are a few additional images I took from the collection.  If you can make it to see the exhibit, I definitely recommend catching it while it is here in Kansas City.  If you love history, it is worth the trip.