The artifact presented here is a richly decorated funerary throne discovered inside a rock-cut tomb in the Theban Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile near modern-day Luxor, Egypt. Based on stylistic, iconographic, and material analysis, the object is dated to the late New Kingdom period, approximately the 18th–19th Dynasty (circa 1350–1200 BCE). The throne was found in situ against the rear wall of a burial chamber, suggesting it had not been disturbed since antiquity. Its placement and preservation indicate a carefully planned funerary arrangement, likely intended for a high-ranking individual within the royal or priestly elite.
The throne is constructed primarily from local sycamore fig wood, a material commonly used in elite Egyptian furniture, and is extensively coated with a layer of gesso and gold leaf. Traces of mineral-based pigments—red ochre, Egyptian blue, carbon black, and malachite green—remain vivid on its surfaces. The carved reliefs display remarkable precision, with figures outlined in sunk relief and filled with painted detail. The throne’s canopy, supported by wooden beams and draped with linen fragments, reflects advanced carpentry skills and symbolic architectural design rather than practical seating comfort.
Iconographic analysis reveals repeated depictions of Anubis, god of embalming and protector of the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, alongside hieroglyphic texts invoking protection, rebirth, and divine judgment. The seated and standing figures are rendered in canonical proportions, facing inward toward central columns of hieroglyphs that likely spell the name and тιтles of the tomb’s owner. Such imagery suggests the throne functioned as a symbolic seat of authority in the afterlife, allowing the deceased to participate eternally in divine rituals and cosmic order.
From an archaeological perspective, the throne was not intended for daily use but served a ritual and symbolic function. It likely represented the deceased’s status as “justified” before the gods, acting as a metaphysical seat during funerary rites such as the Opening of the Mouth ceremony. Comparable objects found in royal and high-official tombs support the interpretation that such thrones embodied transformation—from mortal ruler to divine ancestor—within the Egyptian belief system.
The throne was excavated during a controlled archaeological mission conducted by a joint Egyptian–international research team under the supervision of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. Detailed documentation, 3D scanning, and conservation ᴀssessments were carried out on-site. This discovery contributes significantly to our understanding of funerary furniture, elite idenтιтy, and ritual space in the New Kingdom. Rather than rewriting history, the artifact deepens it—offering tangible evidence of how power, belief, and craftsmanship converged in the ancient Egyptian conception of eternity.
