Birthday celebrations with Tutankhamen

A couple of weeks ago it was my mum's birthday and as she has a great interest in ancient Egypt, I took her to the Tutankhamen exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea. She had been to the exhibition the last time it was in London, fifty years ago and was looking forward to going back. This time round the exhibition featured items which had not been on exhibit before. I'd booked us early tickets on a weekday, so we were able to walk straight in (by the time we left at mid day the queues were very long, so it's worth getting an early slot, once you're in you aren't restricted in how long you spend there).

 We started by watching a short film before heading through to the galleries. One of the first things that caught my eye was a beautiful gilded wooden pencil box which was very ornate.

Alongside each item was a description and information, as well as information about the dig that discovered the lost pyramid, so it is a fascinating collection. 

This is a wooden game that was found in the tomb, so intricately designed and made. I'd love to know how it would be played. 

This was another of my favourite artefacts, a tiny replica of the famous casket, so small and yet so exactly copied, the skill and craftsmanship is just unbelievable. 

After spending almost a couple of hours in the exhibition, we stopped for a cup of tea in the gallery cafe before having a stroll through the quaint shopping area in Chelsea. We then stopped at the John Lewis store which has a cafe on the top floor with amazing views over London, where we enjoyed a slice of cake and a cup of tea.