Funerary Cartonnage Mask of Lady Tjuya
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty (c. 1390–1352 B.C.)
From the Tomb of Yuya and Tjuya, Valley of the Kings, Egypt

This exquisite funerary cartonnage mask of Lady Tjuya was crafted from plastered and gilded linen, radiating divine splendor and timeless grace. Tjuya—also known as Tjuyu, Thuya, or Thuyu—was a woman of remarkable status: the wife of Yuya, mother of Queen Tiye, maternal grandmother of King Akhenaten, and great-grandmother of King Tutankhamun.

Lady Tjuya was an important noblewoman of ancient Egypt during the 18th Dynasty, around the 14th century BCE. She was the wife of Yuya, a powerful court official, and the mother of Queen Tiye, who became the Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

This made Tjuya the grandmother of the famous pharaoh Akhenaten and the great-grandmother of Tutankhamun. Her tomb (KV46) in the Valley of the Kings was discovered almost intact in 1905, containing beautifully preserved funerary goods, including her gilded coffins, jewelry, and canopic jars. The remarkable condition of her mummy and burial objects provides valuable insight into the wealth, artistry, and religious beliefs of Egypt’s elite during the New Kingdom.