The priceless golden mask of ancient Egyptian boy king Tutankhamun is back on display at the Egyptian Museum in central Cairo after its beard, broken by cleaners, was fixed by Egyptian and German scientists.

Found in 1902 by Howard Carter, it soon captured the hearts and minds of the entire world. And for decades, it has been the most glamorous piece of the museum and its situation has always drawn media frenzy.

In 1946, it was displayed for public view, but unfortunately its beard fell down. Though repaired, nevertheless primitive material was applied, said Akram Allam, a leading scholar on Egyptian history.

Lately, an Egyptian German restoration team worked on the beard for eight weeks and corrected the defects occurred in the previous 1946 repair by resorting to the methods of the ancient Egyptians with bee wax and other natural materials.

"It was important to understand first the technological composition of the mask. That means to understand the materials from which the mask was made, namely the inlays of glass and semi-precious stone, and how the gold work was assembled from different parts. And on this basis it was possible to choose a way of treatment in harmony with the original character of the object. These I would like to emphasize," said Stefan Zedelmeir, director of the German Archaeological Institute.

The recent fixing had its blessing in disguise and unearthed a new discovery.

"We found an inner tube made of gold to house the beard, to be attached to the chin of King Tut. This is something no one knew about it before," said Akram Allam.

It also opened the door for partnerships with museums from many other countreis, including China.

"I had today a visit from the director of the Shanghai museum and he would like a partnership between both museums. We are studying the case and I think we will do good cooperation in the future," said Mamdouh al-Damaty, Egypt's antiquities minister.

Moreover, a tour of the mask to Asia could be on the agenda to give opportunities for people to appreciate the fascinating world of ancient Egypt.
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