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That's a horrendous job they've made. Idiots.

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Here is a picture of the damage:

Oy, that looks horrible. Even I have better glue discipline than that.

Tell me thats a not the funeral mask of King Tut, argueably the most noteable ancient artifact on the planet.

Surely it must be some store kid's botched repair job of a Tomb Kings model he bought on ebay.

That most unfortunately is Orlanth. No chance they're getting the Rosetta Stone back now

I do have to ask, what was the beard originally affixed with?

 Orlanth wrote:
Did find this though:

http://www.eloquentpeasant.com/2011/01/29/statues-of-tutankhamun-damagedstolen-from-the-egyptian-museum/

In fairness its not the same, its about Egypt being an unsafe place for artifacts rather rthan the Cairo Museum. Interesting that people would smash gold rather than steal it.

Before reading that, I had questioned the study that found the average IQ in Egypt to be 83. Now I'm thinking 83 might be too generous.

 streamdragon wrote:
So angry when I read this last night. Reminded me of that ruined painting and made me appreciate the Smithsonian even more.`

Actually Ecce Mono improved the painting immeasurably. It was not an ancient work just fairly common 19th century church art, so the original loss was bearable. Now however it has novel value, and irt will retain said value over the centuries. People travel a fair way to see it now.

The same cannot be said for this travesty in Cairo.

If they break it I guess they can build it.

 Grey Templar wrote:
I do have to ask, what was the beard originally affixed with?

I believe it is some kind of sculpture, so the underlying frame was probably welded of riveted before it was gilded.


I also found this ironic quote on Wikipedia:

Wikipedia wrote:In 2011 the exhibition visited Australia for the first time, opening at the Melbourne Museum in April for its only Australian stop before Egypt's treasures return to Cairo in December 2011.

The exhibition includes 80 exhibits from the reigns of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors in the Eighteenth dynasty, such as Hatshepsut, whose trade policies greatly increased the wealth of that dynasty and enabled the lavish wealth of Tutankhamun's burial artifacts, as well as 50 from Tutankhamun's tomb. The exhibition does not include the gold mask that was a feature of the 1972–1979 tour, as the Egyptian government has determined that the mask is too fragile to withstand travel and will never again leave the country.

At least not in one piece...

 Grey Templar wrote:
I do have to ask, what was the beard originally affixed with?

The label says:

(fish loaf loaf bird spear sun house snake)

It doesn't translate being a brand name, but it was a mad popular brand back then.

In small glyphs at the back of the packet read: Back to temple warranty (Thebes) valid until 840BC

Well 1000 years from now, there is another story for it.

 Orlanth wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:
I do have to ask, what was the beard originally affixed with?

The label says:

(fish loaf loaf bird spear sun house snake)

It doesn't translate being a brand name, but it was a mad popular brand back then.

In small glyphs at the back of the packet read: Back to temple warranty (Thebes) valid until 840BC

 Smacks wrote:



I also found this ironic quote on Wikipedia:

Wikipedia wrote:In 2011 the exhibition visited Australia for the first time, opening at the Melbourne Museum in April for its only Australian stop before Egypt's treasures return to Cairo in December 2011.

The exhibition includes 80 exhibits from the reigns of Tutankhamun's immediate predecessors in the Eighteenth dynasty, such as Hatshepsut, whose trade policies greatly increased the wealth of that dynasty and enabled the lavish wealth of Tutankhamun's burial artifacts, as well as 50 from Tutankhamun's tomb. The exhibition does not include the gold mask that was a feature of the 1972–1979 tour, as the Egyptian government has determined that the mask is too fragile to withstand travel and will never again leave the country.

At least not in one piece...

Ironically quite the opposite. The mask might take a trip on the hush hush to either London or Berlin for restoration, maybe New York. There is zero way the Egyptian government is going to let this slide, its a national embarrassment, they will want the mask fixed. and that will mean transporting it somewhere where that can happen rather than importing expertise.
My guess is that it will be checked over by professional restorers in the next month or two, then taken to the British Museum for scans. When the Turin shroud had repair work done it went to the British museum for work. In all likelihood this will happen under a media blanket. The BM is very good at shutting up when it needs to, and has all the tools and expertise needed, and if any individuals are better they will be called in as expert witnesses.
Within a week restorers will be gluing gold together and seeing if they can do anything about it. generally they can. Superglue, even epoxy like that isn't a problem, the people who remove it are like surgeons or gemcutters, very very precise in their work and 0% hasty. As a rule you don't even touch the artifact with a tool until you have spent at least a month looking at it from all angles, scanning it and consulting anyone required etc.

Ehh, just send it to my house, Im good at repairing models and stuf
Also, this reminds me of how people take steel wool to old guns, thinking it will clean it up

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Ehh, just send it to my house, Im good at repairing models and stuf
Also, this reminds me of how people take steel wool to old guns, thinking it will clean it up

Or that its somehow more valuable if its scuffed up

unbelievable. That sucks so much.

I say a really stupendous exhibit in Dallas when I was younger, with a lot of the artifacts from Egypt.

I sense a cleaning crew execution in the future....

This is why I in principle, support the return of appropriated artifacts to their native lands, but in reality think we should hang onto for a bit longer XD

Oh...... wow......... that looks just awful. I'm a bit speechless to be honest.

It's pretty bad. Accidents do happen but I really wish they'd left it off.

I guess when you're a poorly paid cleaner your job matters more to you than the ancient relics you're cleaning around. That being said, how did they not think the curator or tourists wouldn't notice?

Surely there must be some way to remove it?

Christ...

As for it being like a bad college comedy, that would only apply if they had stuck it to the sarcophagus' groin instead.

This stuff writes itself...

 streamdragon wrote:
So angry when I read this last night. Reminded me of that ruined painting and made me appreciate the Smithsonian even more.`

Funnily enough I consider the Smithsonian awful too. Bachem Ba 349 Horten Ho 229 and J7W1 Shinden all only have one survivor each.All are hidden in storage all in terrible condition.All are owned by the Smithsonian "Museum of hiding cool things in storage"

I really should go to Egypt and nick it. It's obviously far safer stored on my cupboard next to my models than in the museum.

What's next? They run it over with a forklift or something while moving it for restoration?

Running it over while moving it would make a little sense. Bumping it while cleaning is another level of incompetence.

Some green stuff will fix that right up.

And I thought my gluing looked botched.

Can't they just put the mask in the freezer to break the bond and then put it together right?

 d-usa wrote:
Can't they just put the mask in the freezer to break the bond and then put it together right?

They'd probably mess that up too.

 d-usa wrote:
Can't they just put the mask in the freezer to break the bond and then put it together right?

If and when they get around to actually fixing it, they'll probably use directed blasts of liquid nitrogen to weaken the glue and only the glue. Putting the whole thing in a freezer could damage the undamaged areas, especially the original adhesive.

I guess they shouldn't have gone with the lowest bid for the cleaning contract after all.

Looks like it wasnt cleaning staff trying to cover up a blunder.
Its worse.
It was a repair team.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulrodgers/2015/01/23/king-tuts-mask-ruined-by-shoddy-glue-job/

According to inside sources a light bulb went in the illuminated case so the repair team removed the mask to replace the bulb, and picked it up the wrong way dislodging the beard.
Ignorant cleaners can understand, ignorant repair technicians is a new level of facepalm.
Idiots probably picked it up with one hand on the beard.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also German expert beleives mask can be restored.

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20150126000694

I concur, even with epoxy. If you use the same sort of conditions and precision that a brain surgeon would use, and without the need to do all the job at once. By separating the pieces under microscope with very fine tools it can certainly be done.
The word 'irreversible' would refer to most other things, but with the correct equipment and talent even this can be fixed. Professional conservators can achieve wonderful things, if the budget is there, and this is the sort of item you throw money at fixing.

Having been to see it in the Cairo Museum some years ago I am not particularly shocked to hear it got broken given it seemed to be in a plywood display case

Under a blackened moon Tomb King Atunophatep stood atop his gilded chariot cab with his faithful charioteer Pathesis at his side, in death as he as in life.
Before him his armies were crumbling and the hordes of his ancestor rival, the 27th dynasty King Atun III, crept closer to his pyramid and the final victory and control of the ancient cities funeral valley.
'Vizier' he croaked from crusted lips. "Bring forth the Ushabti"
The Ushabti, feared tomb guardians of his royal person, the finest troops of his pyramid, and the last defence against his adversary and oblivion.
"Vizeier" he called again impatiently, as no sign of the Ushabti following out of their crypt was seen.
"Majesty, forgive us!" The Vizier cried back bend over his kenees in supplication. "The Ushabti are....stuck."
"What?!"
"The fabricators and priests used the wrong epoxy, Majesty. The Ushabti cannot move from their plinths!"
With no reinforcements and dwindling line infantry, Pharoah of Ustensis, Atunophatep 'the Thrice Magnified' could only watch as the armies of his great grandfather advanced upon his temple courtyard.

 Orlanth wrote:

 Iron_Captain wrote:
Here is a picture of the damage:

Oy, that looks horrible. Even I have better glue discipline than that.

Tell me thats a not the funeral mask of King Tut, argueably the most noteable ancient artifact on the planet.

Surely it must be some store kid's botched repair job of a Tomb Kings model he bought on ebay.

That looks like "Blue Glue" if so then dry ice might brittle the adhesion