Dottie McKenna
East Brunswick, NJ

KING TUT

When I received my mission orders from Major Pane, Commander-in-Chief, BFG and Round 1 Battlefield Glass III Theme Items, several ideas came to mind (Filigree? Angelic? Wings?) since the Christmas season had just passed. The jewel could work out in several ideas I had, but that camel where is their habitat, how are they used, what are their historic implications? I began my search for information which led me to Ancient Egypt, pyramids, temples and, yes, King Tut (Tutankhamon). What about the golden/bronze mask that covered the face of his mummy? How about a bust of King Tut in a stand as 3-D?

Materials:

Glass:

Construction:

King Tut is 18 inches high and 12 inches wide at the largest points. To achieve a 3-D effect I layered the face, ears, beard and top of crown of headdress over white streaky glass. The two layers of glass were foiled together with ½" copper foil. The top layer of the face and ears was backed with sheet copper to give an illusion of shine, brightness, mirror like to emulate a bronze-cast bust. The trim of the neck and base were done in the same manner using a different shade of glass to create a darker bronze appearance. To continue the layered 3-D effect the mouth and nose were foiled, but not backed with sheet copper to give an illusion of depth. The face actually had 3 layers of glass: the nose and mouth - "Tiffany Style"? The eyes were done with #18 gauge copper wire. The headdress was done in teal/wispy green and layered over the white glass and foiled together to give and illusion of an extra dimension of depth. The sides of the headdress were done with ½" copper foil allowing the same space between to allow alternate stripes of glass and foil. The camel medallion was double layered. The top glass being English Muffle textured to give a "Hammered look " of yesteryear and spray-painted with gold enamel. The camel was glued to the medallion and painted bronze with enamel. The red/orange jewels adorn the crown and "shoulders" which were backed with sheet copper foil to blend better with the look of the piece. The wings (which I trimmed slightly) are the frame for the jewel on the crown. The three separate diamond filigrees frame the three jewels on the crown and shoulders. The whole piece was cleaned in preparation for the final step of bright copper patina. The wooden base completes the project of King Tut by allowing it to rise from a horizontal surface giving an impression of a bust.

Difficulties: