The Easel

Archives: Geoffrey Lenox-Smith

25th August 2026

The Grand Egyptian Museum

Although the museum officially opened last November, its crowning glory – the full contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb – is only now on display. Included are his personal possessions such as a carved calcite boat intended as a dining table centrepiece, and six chariots. A ceremonial chair made of ebony would have needed “a pile of cushions”. His spectacular funerary mask contains 10kg of gold and inlays of glass, obsidian and lapis lazuli. “I spent three full days in the GEM and look forward to returning”.