BIA

JANVIER 2015
only one scratch is visible and its date of
occurrence cannot be determined. It could have
been made on the day of the mask’s discovery,
during its first restoration in 1941, or more
recently, in the last few months.”
He said that upon its discovery inside the
tomb in the Valley of the Kings on Luxor’s west
bank, Tutankhamun’s mask was found in two
pieces, resting on the mummy’s face. These
pieces were the mask of the king’s face and
the protruding beard.
The mask and beard were transported to
the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where they were
exhibited as two pieces in one showcase for
almost two decades. In 1941, the objects were
glued together as one piece, and in 1944 the
beard was loosened and reattached.
In August 2014, during repairs to the mask’s
showcase, a worker accidently touched the
beard and the beard was loosened again. “It
was a regular accident,” ECKMANN said, adding
that the beard had most probably come off
because the glue used in 1941 had dried and
was no longer effective.
“Speaking as a conservator, believe me this
case is very normal and it happens all of the
time on objects not only in Egypt but all over
the world,” ECKMANN said. He confirmed that
restorers then glued the beard back on with
epoxy resin.
“I don’t know the kind of epoxy they used
in the restoration. For that I would need to
carry out a lab analysis,” ECKMANN said, adding
that although epoxy is a material that can be
legitimately used in restoration it is not the
best solution. “Restoration has several schools,
and I am from the school that prefers not to
use epoxy in restoration,” he said. The glue
was also applied improperly and remains were
visible on the braided beard.
“It can be reversed. It has to be done very
carefully, but it is reversible,” said ECKMANN, who
has been appointed by the Ministry of
Antiquities to oversee the mask’s repair. He
announced that a committee of experts
consisting of conservators, archaeologists and
natural scientists has been assigned to develop
a plan for restoration of the mask.
One museum conservator, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, told the Weekly that
epoxy is not a proper material to use to
restore the mask, although it was a material
often used to re-attach metal or stone because
of its high strength. He said that the epoxy
used had dried, leaving a gap between the
face and the beard on the mask.
al-Damâtî told reporters that the media had
exaggerated the reports of damage to the
mask. He claimed that a photograph used in
the media had used Photoshop to change the
shape of the mask and make the beard look
damaged.
The ministry had not attempted a cover-up,
he said, contrary to what was reported in the
newspapers. The restoration work carried out in
2014 had been fully recorded, and in October
2014 another restoration committee
recommended the removal of some of the
epoxy. “Tutankhamun is safe and sound, and
all this brouhaha is unjustified. It has had a
negative impact on Egypt’s reputation and its
great desire to preserve and conserve its
heritage,” al-Damâtî asserted.
Egyptologist Monica Hanna described the
restoration work carried out in August 2014 as
unprofessional and told the Weekly that a
scientific committee should have been
appointed to select the best kind of resin to
restore the artefact. “ECKMANN is a very
professional conservator who restored king
Pepi’s I statue,” Hanna said. There are other
very skilful restorers, however, and the museum
should have consulted them before attempting
to restore the mask. “Why all that hurry to
restore the mask in August 2014? Why use so
much epoxy?” she asked. “Any artefact can
need restoration, but the important thing is to
restore it professionally.”
The mask is 54 cm high and made of gold
inlaid with coloured glass and semi-precious
BIA LI — Janvier/Juin 2015 29