December 2014 Auction Ends Tuesday, December 16th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/16/2014
Pierre Lacau typed letter signed, ''P. Lacau'' as Director of Antiquities in Egypt, pertaining to the excavation of King Tut's tomb. Written in French upon his official stationery and dated 27 January 1923, letter is addressed to ''Mr. Under Secretary of State''. Letter is partially untranslated and mentions ''the mummy'', referring to King Tut, and also ''Tout Ankh Amon''. It continues that the mummy cannot stay where it was found in the sarcophagus. Content also refers to the Egyptian government's limiting of visitors to the tomb, ''...so work can go quickly and well...'' It took 8 years to remove all of the treasures from the tomb, and the issue of who was permitted in the tomb during this time became a bone of contention between Lacau and lead excavator Howard Carter; when Lacau banned nearly everyone including the wives of the team, Carter took offense, temporarily abandoning the excavation. Letter additionally references Amenophis II, another pharaoh who was buried in the Valley of the Kings. Letter runs two pages on two sheets, measuring 8.25'' x 13.5''. Toning, creasing and some rubber stamping, else near fine.
French Egyptologist Pierre Lacau Typed Letter Signed Regarding the Excavation of King Tut's Tomb in 1923
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