Description: A SOUVENIR FROM CAIRO AT THE TIME OF DISCOVERY VIEWS OF THE TOMB OF KING TUT*ANKH*AMEN AT THEBES DISCOVERED BY MR. HOWARD CARTER ONBEHALF OF LORD CARNAVON FROM THESKETCHES OF HAMZA ABDALLA CARRBy Saleh Lutfi First EditionPublished in Cairo, Egypt, Typo Dawawin, 1923 Contents* Original gray wrappers, bound and tied with original gold silk cord, and printed in blackwith the royal cartouche of King Tut-Ankh-Amen stamped in gold.* 32 unnumbered pages; title page, Introduction and captions printed in English and Arabic.* 17 illustrations printed in black, gold, and other colors, plus double-page centerfold sketchof the tomb's Antechamber made on the spot by Hamza Abdalla Carr. ConditionBit of chipping to spine ends; gold cord is slightly frayed; a few creases and many little handling dings throughout bur no tears or missing pieces. Still very good for this ephemeral century-old publication, in protective Mylar sleeve. DescriptionA century ago Howard Carter under the patronage of George Edward Herbert, aka Lord Carnarvon, discovered the tomb of King Tut-Ankh-Amen in Egypt's Valley of the Kings at Thebes on the Upper Nile. It was the greatest archaeological discovery of all time, eclipsing Schleiman's discovery of Troy. Visitors from around the world flocked to the site and surrounded the tomb hoping to catch a glimpse of the boy-Pharaoh's regal treasures. Other than workmen, dignitaries, and the friends and family of Carter and Carnarvon, no one was permitted to enter the tomb. However, an exception was made for Egyptian artist Hamza Abdalla Carr who made a sketch of the artifacts in the tomb's Antechamber before they were photographed by Harry Burton and removed for transport down the Nile to the museum in Cairo. The other illustrations were probably made by Carr at the Cairo Museum where the antiquities were put on display. * * * The sketches of Hamza Abdalla Carr were arranged and prepared for publication by Saleh Lutfi, an Egyptian entrepreneur who sought to capitalize on the discovery and produced the item offered here, which is now a natural relic of the Land of the Pharaohs. It is rare. OCLC Worldcat lists only two copies---one in the Brooklyn Museum Library and one in the Universita Catolica in Milan, Italy. The text is written in both English and Arabic. Modern Standard Arabic is Egypt's official literary language, although the spoken language is Egyptian-Arabic, which is a blend of several Near-Eastern languages and dialects. The Arabic text begins at what English-speaking readers would consider to be the back of the book, since Arabic-speaking people read from right to left. Lutfi favored the latter; thus the "back" wrapper bears the printing while the "front" wrapper is blank. The English text follows the blank "front" wrapper. Lutfi's inspired work probably sold to tourists at the Cairo Museum and at various shops in Luxor, the ancient city of Thebes---the hundred-gated capital of the ancient Egyptian empire from where Tut-Ankh-Amen's funeral procession proceeded westward to the Valley of the Kings across the Nile. The price for a copy of Lutfi's publication was fifteen piastres as distinguished by "P.T.15" encircled in the upper left corner of the printed wrapper. Among the illustrations are Tut-Ankh-Amen's guardian statute printed in black and gold, and the Hathor couch printed in pure gold and outlined in black. In all, there are only 18 illustrations including the centerfold sketch of the Antechamber, but they possess a certain charm and immediacy having been executed by Carr in the first flush of excitement following the excavations under Carter and Carnarvon. Lutfi said, "It is fully expected that important discoveries in the history of Egypt at one of its great periods will result from the wonderful find." His prediction of other "important discoveries" in the tomb proved true when Carter broke down the sealed door of the Sepulchral Chamber beyond which lay the boy-King, intact, in all his royal splendor, after more than 3000 years. Payment and Shipping InfoPayment: Payment must be received 3 days after purchase, or sooner. Shipping: $15 Priority mail in the U.S.International Shipping: Via the Global Shipping Program
Price: 395 USD
Location: New York, New York
End Time: 2024-09-21T06:34:06.000Z
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Binding: Softcover, Wraps
Topic: Historical
Original/Facsimile: Original
