thatlittleegyptologist:

egypt-museum:

Mirror Case in the form of the Ankh

Mirrors, made of polished gold, silver, copper, or bronze, were part of the cosmetic accessories of women and men. They were sometimes preserved in cases such as this elaborate one in the form of an Ankh, or the key of life.

It is carved in gold-plated wood and the king’s name is inlaid on the lid with colored glass and semiprecious stones. The interior of the case is lined with silver. The mirror it once contained was not found. From the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62). Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 62349

Visual pun check! The word for ‘mirror’ in Middle Egyptian is also ‘ankh’, so doubling the ankh ‘mirror’ into the ankh ‘life’ doubles the meaning and creates a visual pun on it ‘mirroring life’.