On one side of this cedar panel, Thutmose IV appears as a rampant sphinx, treading the enemies of Egypt underfoot. Above the pharaoh hovers the Horus falcon, shielding him with its wings. Near the sphinx’s hind legs, there’s an animated ankh, the hieroglyph for life. It holds up a fan, offering the king the "breath of life." On the other side of the panel, the king sits enthroned and wears the red crown of Lower Egypt. Behind him is the god Thoth. According to the inscription, the god says, "I bring you millions of years, life, well-being, and the attainment of eternity." In front of the king stands the lion-headed goddess Weret-hekau, who is associated with the royal crown.

The panel was once covered with gold leaf. It formed the left arm piece of a throne made for a major celebration, possibly the king's coronation. The arm panel from the throne’s right side is in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. These two panels were found in the king’s tomb, along with the vessels and amulets of blue faience on view in the case to your left.

Theodore M. Davis, an American businessman from Providence, Rhode Island, discovered the tomb of Thutmose IV in the Valley of the Kings in 1903. Davis funded excavations in the valley between 1903 and 1912, and his team was very successful. They discovered a number of important royal tombs, although all had been robbed in antiquity. They also found a small tomb containing the almost undisturbed burials of Yuya and Tuya, who were probably the great-grandparents of Tutankhamun. A few pieces from this tomb are on display across the gallery.

Davis left the Valley in 1912, declaring that there was nothing more to be found. But a decade later, in 1922, Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun himself.