Inside this imposing and elaborate gilded canopic shrine was the alabaster chest that contained the four canopic miniature coffins.
At each side of this shrine stands an elegant statue of one of the four female divinities in charge of protecting the deceased king, their faces turned slightly to one side and their arms stretched out in a gesture of protection. These goddesses are Isis, Nephthys, Neith, and Serket.
The outer canopy of gilded wood, fixed to a sledge, consists of four square corner posts supporting a projecting cavetto cornice topped by a frieze of uraei, or rearing cobras, with solar disks.
A cavetto cornice is a concave molding with a cross section that approximates a quarter circle. Scenes of the protective deities are incised in relief on the sides of the shrine.
Serket protecting chest of canopic shrine of Tutankhamun
Magic was also joined with medical practice: to make a treatment more effective, the doctor pronounced magic formulas identifying himself with a deity.
Detail of a gilded statue of the goddess Serket from the Canopic shrine of Tutankhamun
Canopic chests are cases used by ancient Egyptians to contain the internal organs removed during the process of mummification. The Canopic jars usually contained the liver, intestines, lungs, and stomach.