sandro vannini

Sandro Vannini's Photography - King Tutankhamun's Senet Game Board

The ivory senet board game found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun (KV62) gives an insight into the Ancient Egyptian leisure activities. Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini. Click to skip to the slideshow.Four Senet boards were found inside the tomb of King Tutankhamun and suggests that the boy king was a keen player of the ancient game. In Ancient Egyptian society, senet was regarded as much more than just a game, however - it was a matter of life or death. The game involves throwing casting sticks or knucklebones, and over time became regarded as talismans for the journey into the afterlife with luck being a key deciding factor in the game.

Sandro Vannini's Photography - The Entrance to the Tomb of King Tutankhamun (KV62)

The entrance to the Tomb of King Tutankhamun, in the Valley of the Kings. Click the image to skip to the slideshow. Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini.When the entrance to the Tomb of King Tutankhamun (KV62) was discovered by the great explorer Howard Carter and his financier Lord Carnarvon, they could never have dreamed of the treasures which awaited them inside.

Top 10: The Best Photos of Egyptian Artefacts by Sandro Vannini on Flickr

The Golden Death Mask of King Tutankhamun is one of the most famous archaeological pieces of all time. Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini.When I was asked to select ten of my favourite images from the Flickr photostream of Heritage Key photographer Sandro Vannini, I wasn't sure how I would be able to choose just ten from a collection of images that are each so breathtaking. 

However, I discovered that his photostream at present only contains 88 images so my task was a little less daunting.  However, they are all such exceptional images I would not even begin to know how to rank them in any particular order so please don't assume I found image number one more pleasing than number 10! Here are my joint top 10 favourite images by Vannini.

Sandro Vannini's Photography - The Ritual Figures of King Tutankhamun

The Ritual Figures of King Tutankhamun were discovered inside KV62, and total 34 statues inside resin-covered shrines. Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini.Discovered inside the Tomb of King Tutankhamun, inside black resin-covered wooden shrines which were accessible via double doors, were 34 ritual figures. Of significant importance during the ritual ceremony, these statuettes are believed to assist the King Tut's passage to the afterlife. Upon discovering the shrines in KV62, the great explorer Howard Carter found only one of the boxes had been raided by tomb robbers, with the rest laying undisturbed since antiquity.

Sandro Vannini's Photography - The Theban Tomb of Montuemhat and his son Nesptah (TT34)

The stone sarcophagus of the son of the diplomat Montuemhat - Nesptah, discovered by Dr Farouk Gomaa's team in their excavation of TT34 in Thebes. Click image to skip to the slideshow.Many archaeological excavations are taking place across Egypt as the wonders of the Ancient World continue to reveal themselves to us. One such excavation taking place is at el-Assasif, Thebes at the site of TT34 - the Tomb of Montuemhat. The archaeological dig, led by Dr Farouk Gomaa, is searching for the yet undiscovered burial chamber of the diplomat Montuemhat.

Sandro Vannini's Photography - The Ceremonial Chariot

The State Chariot, one of six ceremonial chariots found inside the Tomb of King Tutankhamun. Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini.There were six Ceremonial Chariots discovered in the Tomb of King Tutankhamun (KV62), all dismantled in order to be able to take them down through the narrow corridors. In addition to the discovered chariots were miscellaneous fittings which would have belonged to other chariots. Sandro Vannini, the Egyptology photographer who has captured on film some of most stunning artefacts in history, took photographs of the State Chariot - the most beautifully decorated of the six found in the chamber - and the images are bought exclusively to the internet by Heritage Key.

Sandro Vannini's Photography - Tomb of Seti I (KV17): The Burial Crypt

A scene from the Opening of the Mouth ceremony shown on the tomb walls of the Tomb of Seti I (KV17). Image Copyright - Sandro Vannini.Seti I is thought to have ruled over Egypt for between 11 to 15 years, overseeing the most vibrant artistic period in its dynastic history, and so it is fitting that his tomb was one of the most elaborate and beautifully decorated found in the Valley of the Kings. The well preserved tomb was found in 1817 by Giovanni Battista Belzoni, and is the longest discovered so far, stretching to at least 136 metres.

Sandro Vannini's Photography - The Ritual Beds of King Tutankhamun

The Ammut Bed was one of three discovered inside the Tomb of King Tut (KV62). Click the image to skip to the slideshow.Three ritual beds were found inside the Tomb of King Tutankhamun (KV62), made up of four pieces of gilded wood and bound together with hooks and staples. Assembly instructions were painted on the beds in black paint, with each bed representing a different animal deity.

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