Canopic Human-Headed Stoppers

Each of the four 'canopic jars' (actually hollowed-out sections in King Tut's canopic chest) were seperately topped with a carved human-headed stopper made of calcite. The eyes, lips and ornaments on the headdress are picked out in red and black paint. Each of them is marked with a symbol indicating their correct position, and was facing inwards towards the centre of the chest.

It is debated if these four stoppers were in fact carved for Tutankhamun. The facial features show large almond-shaped eyes, a narrow nose, a square but delicate chin and a turned-downed mouth - features which do not mach the other portraits we have of King Tut.  Maybe the chest was - like so many objects in the tomb - actually created for another pharaoh, and either never used or re-used. Yet, the royal name on both the canopic chest and its outer shrine and its outer shrine appears original, which suggests that Tutankhamun did not usurp the container from a predecessor.