“ MUMMY FROCKS ”

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11436, 5 February 1923, Page 9

“ MUMMY FROCKS ”

BASED ON LUXOR DISCOVERY. DESCRIPTION OF RELICS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received Ferbuary 4, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, February 3. Interest in Tutankhamen’s tomb exceeds that taken in any archaeological discovery since Professor Evans’s finds in Crete. Parisian .and London dressmakers are utilising the discoveries to popularise "muiinny frocks," the peculiarity of which is that they are swathed round. the body and cling to the legs. Airs; Asquith is wearing one of the froelcs. | Archaeologists express the opinion ■that the tomb will be of a simple type, I •not highly decorated like some earlier! examples. The King will probably be j found in a wooden sarcophagus, decor- j ated with' pictures of the sky goddess I Nut. WONDERFUL CARVING. The “Morning Post’s’’ telegram from Luxor describes chariots and a shrineshaped box similar to a Roman Catholic tabernacle and a wonderfully-carved wooden ushabiti, inlaid with gold, which have just been taken from the tomb. The ushabti is one of the finest art objects in the antechamber. The ushabti is specially interesting, because it is connected with Amen worship, though the craftsmanship of the figure recalls the Telelamarna manner, where Amen worship was established, which was Tutankhamen’s first faith. This suggests that Telelamarna was the source of the fine artistry displayed on the tomb. SHRINES FOR GODS. The shrine is two feet high and one foot square, and has a carved top recalling the early hum of the Egyptian cultivator, when Pharaonic architects conceived shrines for gods and modelled them on primitive huts.

The shrine, made of wood embosseu in gold, and decorated with hunting scenes, is an object, without parallel in Egyptian archaeology, thought at first it was believed to be an ushabti case.