The Purring Page

This ceremonial fan of Tutankhamun originally held ostrich feathers, it is made of wood covered with sheets of gold and inlaid with colored glass, turquoise, lapis lazuli, carnelian, and translucent calcite. The handle is inset with gold bands at intervals.
The palm of the fan is decorated with the king’s twin cartouches, which are protected by vultures wearing the White and Red Crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, respectively. Several signs are represented: “Was” symbolizing “dominion”; the Shen, symbolizing “eternity”; the “Nebu,” meaning “gold”; and Pet, for “sky.”