Card/Transcription No.: 351-6

351

Of particular interest are the inscriptions - the designations
of the king - upon the back-panel of this chair. First of all,
below the Aten disc are the two cartouches containing the Aten
apellations. These are phrased in the later from and may be
translated: "Re lives,
Ruler of the Horizon, who rejoices on the Horizon in his name
'Re, the Father, who has returned as Aten'". Inlaid on
either side of the Nekhebet vulture are the prenomen and
Aten nomen of the king - Neb.kheperu.Re Tut.ankh.Aten,
surmouned by simple carnelian discs. Below, upon the ivory and
ebony panels, we find various designations of the king giving
the Aten and Amen forms of his nomen. These inscriptions
are in their pristine state - in all cases the Aten form
of the nomen remains unchallenged. The chair is thus
an important historical document with regard to the
politico-religeous vacillations of the reign. Its characteristics
seem to be those of the El Amarna workshops, and from the fact the
Aten and Amen elements occur side by side, it would appear
that the king's return to the older faith was gradual in
transition and not spontaneous.
Behind, to give rigidity to this folding-stool form of chair,
upright supporting laths are fixed to the back-panel, the
seat, and the lower foot-bar. The upper rail and supporting
laths of the back-panel are also inscribed with designations
of the king which include both the Aten and the Amen form of
his name. The back of the panel is overlaid with thin sheet
gold, and upon it, finely embossed, is a large vulture with
drooping wings, surmounted by the sky-sign, the
uzat-eyes and
nefer nefru.