Unveil the World of Tutankhamun

The statues of Tutankhamun and his family reflect the reconstruction of religion and kingship during the late 18th Dynasty. Pharaoh Akhenaten was generally considered as Tutankhamun's father. He initiated radical religious reforms, namely replacing traditional polytheism with the exclusive worship of the sun god Aten, and relocating the capital to the new city of Amarna.

Tutankhamun ascended the throne at the age of 9 amidst turmoil, restored traditional worship of the god Amun, and reestablished Thebes as the religious capital. This pharaoh died at 18 or 19. The vizier Ay succeeded him before the commander in chief Horemhebseized power. The latter one ordered the erasure of all official records of the previous royal family to consolidate his rule.

Until the 1922 discovery of his tomb brought him back to light. Although it is the smallest among those in the Valley of the Kings, spanning only 84 square metres, it yielded over 5000 exquisite funerary goods, including the iconic gold mask. Living during the late 18th Dynasty, a complex and turbulent era, his statues reflect the political and religious upheavals of the time.

Image 1: Colossal Statue of Tutankhamun

Image 2: Digital Reconstruction of the Colossal Statue of Tutankhamun

Image 3: Relief of Akhenaten and his family offering to Aten

Image 4: Seated Sekhmet with cartouches of Amenhotep III

Image 5: Standing Queen Tiye

Ancient Egyptian civilization originated along the reaches of the Nile River in the northeastern part of the African continent more than 7000 years ago. From unification around 3000 BC through the Old Kingdom period, the systems of pharaonic rule and deities were established. The culture and arts, through the development and perfection in the Middle Kingdom period and then the fusion and transformations of the New Kingdom period, gradually reached their peak.

It is believed that the pharaohs were mediators between gods and humans, and rulers of the living and protectors of the dead. They governed the world and took on the responsibility of upholding ma'at - the sacred law of truth, justice, and cosmic order. Statues of gods or pharaohs of previous dynasties were often reused or “incarnate” to reinforce inherited authority. Female rulers did exist in patriarchal Ancient Egypt, of whom Hatshepsut is the most prominent one.

From the 12th century, ancient Egyptian civilisation continued to engage in deeper interactions. Upon the conquest by Alexander the Great, Egypt became part of the Macedonian Empire. After his death, general Ptolemy I became the ruler. During the Ptolemaic Period, the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria became its capital. Later on, Egypt became a Roman province ruled by Rome. As a result, the convergence of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman diverse cultures emerged. 

Image 6: Sheshong II Holding the Figure of the God Amun

Image 7: Colossal head of Senwosret (usurped by Rameses I)

Image 8: Bust of Ramesses I

Image 9: Funerary stele of Semerkhet

Image 10: Seated Thutmose III

This exhibition featured 250 spectacular treasures from 7 major Egyptian museums and the Saqqara archaeological site. Organised into 4 thematic sections, “The Land of Pharaohs”, “The World of Tutankhamun”, “The Secrets of Saqqara”, and “Ancient Egypt and the World”, the exhibition traces the development of ancient Egyptian civilisation spanning nearly 5000 years.

Image 11: Striding Merenptah

Title: Ancient Egypt Unveiled: Treasures from Egyptian Museums

Date: 20 November 2025 to 31 August 2026

Location: M+, Hong Kong

Curator: Hong Kong Palace Museum, Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt