: The New Orleans Museum of Art is presenting the first exhibition
of ancient art from the Egyptian national collection to tour the
United States since the Tutankhamun and Ramses exhibitions 20
years ago. Some objects that have never been on public display
and many that have never been seen outside of Egypt are included
in the show.
"The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt," runs
through February 25. Objects in exhibition were selected to
illuminate the Pharaonic concepts of the afterlife, sustenance
and renewal, and the relationship with the divine.
The exhibition examines the commonality of religious and
philosophical roots among all the great religions by explaining
how, as early as 3,500 years ago, humans evidenced spiritual
development.
Ancient Egyptian beliefs and practices based on the afterlife
journey of pharaohs are illustrated through objects from Egypt
and a life-sized reconstruction of the burial chamber of the New
Kingdom pharaoh Thutmose III (1479-1425 BC).
From the earliest times, Egyptians denied the physical
impermanence of life. They formulated a remarkably complex set of
religious beliefs and funneled vast material resources into the
quest for immortality. The exhibition focuses on the
understanding of the afterlife among Egyptians, in the period of
the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BC) through the Late Period (664-332
BC). The New Kingdom marked the beginning of an era of great
wealth, power and stability for Egypt, and was accompanied by a
burst of cultural activity, much of which was devoted to the
quest for eternal life.
The exhibition is divided into six sections: Journey to the
Afterworld, The New Kingdom, The Royal Tomb, Tombs of Nobles, The
Realm of the Gods and The Tomb of Thutmose III.
Among the objects in the exhibition are the boat from the tomb of
Amenhotep II (Eighteenth Dynasty), an eight-foot-long wooden
model of a pharaoh's river ship that used to sail on the Nile,
painted with scenes of the god Montu smiting the enemies of
Egypt; the sandstone Head of Thutmose I (Eighteenth Dynasty),
derived from one of the standing colossal statues of the king;
numerous gold and jeweled items from the royal tombs at Tanis
(Twenty-first and Twenty-second Dynasties), acclaimed as the most
significant royal burial site since the discovery of
Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922; the Canopi chest of Queen Nedjmet
(late Twentieth Dynasty) that was made to hold her internal
organs; and the sculpture of the god Osiris (Twenty-sixth
Dynasty), wrapped as a mummy with a gold and electrum headdress
shown lying on his stomach with his head lifted, in the process
of resurrecting.
The last room of the exhibition is a reconstruction of the tomb
of Thutmose III, ruler of Egypt in the Fifteenth Century BC. The
original nature of this exhibition experience is intensified by
the presence of magnificent and unique original objects from the
Cairo and Luxor museums.
On the walls is the earliest known complete copy of the Amduat,
the great text describing the sun god's journey through the
afterworld during the 12 hours of night when the sun god defeats
his enemies in the netherworld and achieves rebirth at the
eastern horizon to rise again in the morning sky. The king joins
the sun god and the populace of Egypt follows along to share in
the triumphant cycle of death and rebirth. The red granite lid of
the massive sarcophagus of Nitocris, daughter of Psamtik I
(Twenty-sixth Dynasty), is installed in the room.
The journey begins in modern Egypt, where visitors cross the Nile
and walk back in time, into the sunset and the Underworld - and
into the life and death of Thutmosis III. A burial scene gives
insight into how a Pharaoh becomes both physically and
spiritually immortal. Entering the next chamber, visitors
discover the marvelous statue of the goddess Hathor from the
Luxor Museum.
Together with the other deities, this goddess introduces the
first hour of the Amduat where the first hour interacts with
original objects to lead visitors into the next room. Here, the
12 hours of Amduat are explained in more detail, supported by
original papyri found in the tombs. Next, the visitor walks
through the antechamber and reaches the reconstruction of
Thutmosis III's burial chamber. Additional information is relayed
by advanced interactive stations featuring touch screen
computers.
Leaving the tomb, visitors walk into the sunrise and forward into
modern Egypt - a physical metaphor for the reflection of ancient
Egypt's culture and traditions in modern-day rural Egypt.
The New Orleans Museum of Art is at City Park. For
information, 504-488-2631 or www.noma.org.
