'St John the Evangelist from the Lindisfarne (Durham) ''Gospel Book''. Produced at Lindisfarne, England c720, it is St Jerome's Latin version of the four Gospels made in the 4th century and known as the ''Vulgate''. As well as being a religious text, it is one of the great treasures of Celtic art.'

Folding headrest in painted ivory decorated with the head of the protective spirit Bes, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Dummy head of the young king, made from stuccoed and painted wood, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

The ecclesiastical throne, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Mirror case in the form of an ankh, the sign of life, made of gilt wood inlaid with glass_paste, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

The gilt shrine which originally contained the statuettes of the royal couple in the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Model of the pharaoh's boat, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Gilt wood statuette of Tutankhamun on a boat with a harpoon, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Votive shield showing the king slaying two lions, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Detail from the ceremonial footstool of the king, showing conquered adversaries and enemies of Egypt, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Detail from a state chariot showing the king as a sphinx trampling the enemies of Egypt underfoot, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

The painted box of stuccoed wood showing the king in his chariot, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Detail showing the destruction of the black Africans painted on the box of stuccoed wood, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Mummiform coffin of gold with inlaid semi_precious stones and glass_paste, from the tomb of the pharoah Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valey of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Detail of queen Ankhesenamun on the gilded shrine, from the tomb of the pharoah Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Detail of the exterior of the gilt shrine showing the queen bringing unguents and flowers to the king, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Pectoral decorated with the vulture of Upper Egypt, made of gold cloisonne inlaid with glass paste, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

The king's two daggers, one with a blade of gold, the other of iron, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Detail showing the destruction of Asians painted on the box of stuccoed wood, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Pectoral in gold cloisonne with semi_precious stones and glass_paste, with winged scarab, symbol of resurrection, in centre, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Earrings which show the king flanked by two sacred serpents in the centre of the clip, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discoverd in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Lid of an alabaster jar decorated with a bird in a nest and eggs in a bowl, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Detail of a painted alabaster unguent jar, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Image of the king's mummy on its funeral bed flanked by the king's two souls, dedicated by Maya, from the tomb of the pharoah Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

One of the four small gold mummiform coffins placed in the canopic urns, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

An African adversary carved on the lower end of a ceremonial cane, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

A board game of senet, in ebony and ivory, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Head of the child king emerging from a lotus flower, found at the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Calcite drinking cup in shape of lotus flower, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa

Statue of the goddess Serket protecting the canopic chest or shrine, from the tomb of the pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, North Africa, Africa