"Placed in the doorway, practically preventing ingress to the recess, was a black and gold figure of the jackal Anubis, swathed in linen, couchant, upon a gilt pylonic shrine fixed upon carrying poles. Within the threshold, in front of Anubis, was a small reed torch upon a clay brick. And, behind Anubis, a strange head of a cow - emblems these of the Netherworld where the sun sinks and the dead rest."

(Howard Carter - 10 February 1927)

Like many people, I first became interested in Ancient Egypt through the treasures of the boy-king Tutankhamun, in particular, the excitement caused by the 1972 exhibition at the British Museum.

One object from the tomb has always fascinated me, and, to this day, the famous photograph by Harry Burton of the room which Carter called the 'Treasury' (see below) still evokes to me the excitement and wonder which is Egyptology. At the forefront of course, the Anubis shrine, facing out towards the land of the living.

When I eventually saw this shrine for real, I was amazed that it wasn't how I'd imagined at all. In particular, the figure of Anubis (which I'd always thought of as being huge for some reason) was actually quite small (54.3 cm high to be exact). Thinking about this, it makes absolute sense, because this is obviously intended to be a life-sized representation of the jackal-god. Those of us who have been to Egypt will have seen medium-sized mongrel dogs at the various sites; many of which bear a striking (and startling) similarity to Anubis. Indeed, Carter himself vividly describes seeing jackals and jackal / dog crossbreeds in the vicinity to his house over on the West Bank.

Anubis on his shrine in the room Carter named the 'Treasury'

The Anubis statue is carved from wood, covered in stucco and given a final coat of jet-black resin. The insides of his ears are picked out in gold-leaf, as is the collar and the eye sockets. His eyeballs are inlaid from calcite (like chalk) and obsidian; whilst his claws are made from silver.

The expression on the jackal's face is of supreme serenity. His head is held high as if on alert for his master's return. The ears are pricked as if listening. The Burton photograph shows a linen shirt (from the reign of Akhenaten) draped around the statue; tied around the neck, with the remains of a floral garland made from lotuses and cornflowers. It is fascinating to speculate as to what part this shrine and statue played in the boy-king's funeral rites.

Anubis in the Cairo Museum

Anubis was, of course, a funerary god; revered as the Lord of the Necropolis. He watched over and guided the dead person into the afterlife, and also invented (according to legend) mummification itself. Anubis presided at the 'Weighing of the Heart' ceremony, introducing the deceased to their judges.

Found at the entrance to the Treasury (or the 'threshold' as Carter so aptly described it), he remained at his post, guarding his lord and master for more than two millenia.


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