One of the most mysterious objects encountered during the research of the textiles, were short tubes of linen, with a pair of bird wings attached to it. Carter examined these textiles only shortly and described them in his notes as 'some kind of headgear'.

In many depictions of the pharaoh, protective wings are worn across the chest. In all these cases however, the body of the bird, mostly a falcon, can be seen slightly above the hips. It is unclear how these "falcons" are fastened to the body.

The wings found in the tomb of Tutankhamun were worn in pairs, the body of the birds resting on the shoulders, and with the wings across the chest and back. The tube section was in fact a short sleeve. Most likely the heads, and part of the bodies, of the birds were covered by a collar.

The conventions of the pharaonic art demand a complete as possible depiction of people, animals and objects, and especially important figures as kings, gods and protective birds like the falcon. This explains why these winged garments were shown lower on the body in the paintings and reliefs.

two reconstructions

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for larger images)