Details of the exterior of the gilt shrine. The king pours a perfumed liquid into the queen's hand. Tukankhamen, by Christiane Desroches Noblecourt, page 41. The external walls and the doors of the shrine are subdivided into panels framed by hieroglyphic inscriptions with scenes showing Tutankhamun and his wife in various aspects of married life, a theme that recalls the scenes of the Amarna Period. The entire decorative scheme of the shrine has strong symbolic connotations associated with the religious and political spheres. The intimate ties between the pharaoh and his bride represent the serene relationship between god and man. For this reason it is almost always the queen who is the active figure, embodying the concept of humanity paying homage to the celestial, personified by Tutankhamun. In the bottom left Ankhesenamun is crouching before the seated Tutankhamun and is receiving a liquid poured by her husband into her hands from a small ampoule. *** Local Caption ***