Edition #6
A GOLDEN AGE THAT NEVER ENDS
One of the multicolored, gold coffins that King Tut’s mummy was placed inside during his burial graces the cover of the official companion book to the traveling exhibit.
Photo by Kenneth Garrett, ““Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of the Pharaohs,” Official Companion Book © National Geographic Society
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A golden diadem, inlaid with colored glass and semiprecious stones, got its coloring from minerals like copper crushed into a fine powder. Copper was used to create a blue glaze that was popular during King Tut’s reign and is shown here on the head of the cobra.
Photo credit: Andreas F. Voegelin, Antikenmuseum Basel and Sammlung Ludwig
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The ancient Egyptian boy-king, Tutankhamun, may have ruled for only 10 years some 3,000 years ago, but his name lives on today through the spectacular artifacts discovered in his tomb in 1922 by English archaeologist Howard Carter.
For the first time in 25 years, the antiquities found in King Tut’s tomb are back on tour in the USA, giving a whole new generation of Americans a chance to learn more about the early Egyptians, a civilization that flourished for 2,000 years and gave us great architectural wonders like the pyramids and the sphinx.
By viewing the exhibit’s many treasures, which include elaborately jeweled vessels, a golden dagger and a gold falcon-shaped collar found on the mummy of Tutankhamun, we can see how advanced the Egyptians were at metalworking.
But gold wasn’t the only metal used in ancient Egypt. Most everyday items like water vessels, hand mirrors, razors and the chisels used to smooth the limestone blocks of the great pyramids, were made of copper, which, like gold, can be shaped and bent into many useful forms when it is hot or cold.
Copper was instrumental in another area of Egyptian expertise – agriculture. Copper picks and hoes were used to harvest crops both in this world and the next. Some 168 miniature copper farming implements – buried with King Tut to serve him in the afterlife – were recovered from his tomb.
While it was probably unknown to them at the time, copper’s naturally antimicrobial properties may have helped the Egyptians produce bigger and better crops. Research conducted in the early 20th Century by Austrian forester Viktor Schauberger shows that copper ploughs (versus steel) promote healthier soil, reduce incidences of pests and increase crop yields.
Today, copper continues to help farmers across the world. Instead of tools, however, it is copper crystals and powders that are used to prevent fungal diseases in plants. The next time you raise a glass of Burgundy or Bordeaux, you can thank copper for protecting its grapes from mildew.
“Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of the Pharaohs,” featuring 50 treasures from King Tut’s tomb, along with more than 70 items from other Egyptian kingdoms, will tour the United States until 2007. Four cities will host the exhibit: Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Chicago and Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.kingtut.org.
THE DAWN OF A NEW BRONZE AGE
The Oregon Copper Bowl Company makes an assortment of hand-crafted copper items for both house and garden. Shown is the "Dancing Water" fountain with an antique copper patina.
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The period in man’s development known as the Bronze Age began in 3000 B.C. as copper implements, instead of stone, began appearing in mankind’s toolboxes.
Bronze – a mix of copper and tin – gets top billing in the history books, even though the Copper Age ( 5500-3000 B.C.)
preceded it. Copper was the first metal used in any quantity by man, and it was only during the final stage of the Bronze Age (around 1600 B.C.) that an increase in tin imports spurred the use of bronze in Egypt.
Bronze is harder than pure copper, so the Egyptians used it for weapons, armor, tools and, most famously, sculptures. It is particularly well suited for sculpture because it expands when heated (filling the nooks and crannies of a mold), then contracts as it cools so the sculpture is easy to remove from the mold.
Examples of bronze metalwork found among King Tut’s belongings include: sculptures of a dog and snake, a scimitar or sword, a spatula, candlesticks and a trumpet – one of the earliest examples of musical instruments in history.
Today, bronze remains one of the world’s preeminent metals. Famous artworks like Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker were cast in bronze using the same techniques developed by the Egyptians. Thousands of years later, sculptors still rely on this process, called the “lost wax” method, to produce works of art.
Today, you might say we’re undergoing a new Bronze Age as consumers embrace bronze and copper products for their home’s interiors and exteriors. Decorative bronze and copper sculptures and fountains have become a fixture in many yards, as the popularity of outdoor living spaces spurs a need for al fresco décor.
Outdoor products made from copper and bronze not only look good, they’ll last virtually forever. Unlike iron and steel, copper never rusts; instead, it weathers to form an attractive patina that varies from blue-green to nut-brown depending on the climate where you live.
Distressed or “antique” copper is also a popular decorative option for home interiors and is showing up on faucets, sinks, lighting fixtures and architectural hardware like doorknobs and drawer pulls. Many of these pieces are pretreated to give the metal a weathered, not bright or shiny look.
However, if it’s a shine you’re after, manufacturers offer a range of copper items such as countertops, appliance fronts and decorative backsplashes in glistening copper. You can even have the copper coated so it never loses its original coloring. However, if you want to take advantage of copper’s naturally antimicrobial properties, you should leave it uncoated and let nature do its magic.
For more information on copper and bronze possibilities for home décor visit www.copper.org.
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