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Frontal view of the mask which protected the head, shoulders and upper chest of the mummy; Tutankhamun [Nebkheperure] (reigned ca. 1332-ca. 1323 BCE)was an ancient Egyptian king of the late 18th Dynasty. His virtually intact Theban tomb (numbered KV 62) was discovered at the Valley of the Kings, in 1922, by Howard Carter. The art of Tutankhamun's reign epitomizes the immediate post-Amarna style. The mask fulfilled the magical function of acting as a substitute for the deceased's head, in case this should be lost. It also identified him with Osiris and Re, besides endowing him with the attributes of various other deities connected with the concept of rebirth. Tutankhamun's solid gold mask (Cairo, Egyptian Museum.), inlaid with lapis lazuli, quartz, cornelian and coloured glass, illustrates the extremely high quality of royal workshop products. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.groveart.com/ (accessed 1/15/2008)