Tut's Back In Town

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He's the most famous child potentate of all time — Egypt's young pharaoh, Tutankhamun — but his tomb's magnificent treasures have been shown in Europe only three times since the grave's discovery in 1922. After the last exhibit, in 1981, the Egyptian government barred the artifacts from leaving the country.

Now, after six years of negotiations with the Egyptian authorities, the Museum of Ancient Art in Basel, Switzerland, will offer a rare glimpse at the stunning artifacts buried with King Tut, who ruled from 1333 B.C. to 1323 B.C. — until his death at 18. The museum's director, Peter Blome, says he "hardly dared to hope" that Tut's treasures would one day be shown in Basel. The exhibit, which opened this month and runs until October, features a replica of Tut's burial chamber, as well as 50 of the objects found in the tomb.

The ancient Egyptians believed that artifacts placed in the tomb would ensure a comfortable existence in the afterlife; unlike the tombs of most pharaohs, Tut's was not robbed, so many of these objects survived. Among those on display are Tut's crown, an ebony game board, an alabaster ointment vase, a painted wood figurine of a snake god with wings and a human head (pictured) and a statuette of an Egyptian deity, Ptah, made from gilded wood and faience.

The museum is expecting half a million visitors; tickets can be ordered online at www.tutankhamun.ch.