Sunday, October 12, 2008

Ancient objects whisper the desire to live forever

Herald Tribune (Kevin Costello)

Against vistas of sun-baked dunes and cold, star-filled desert nights, the ancient Egyptians created an art and culture centered on death and the afterlife.

"To Live Forever: Egyptian Treasures From The Brooklyn Museum," a traveling exhibit of more than 100 objects explores this relationship to the afterlife and the gods and goddesses who inhabited this universe. The exhibit includes a mummy and portrait of Demetrios, a wealthy citizen of Hawara (95-100 A.D.), two mummies of dogs (664 B.C.-395 A.D.), a painted coffin of a mayor of Thebes (about 1075-945 B.C), stone sculptures and statues, protective jewelry, amulets and ritual vessels. Here an ancient civilization that has fascinated generations with its wealth of materials, such as faience and gold, and dark imaginings is vividly brought to life. Since the early 19th century a fascination with things Egyptian called Egyptomania has influenced many aspects of western visual culture, most recently Halloween costumes of "The Mummy" and horror films.

The exhibit illustrates the longevity of Egyptian culture, beginning with a knife from the Pre-Dynastic Period (4400-3000 B.C.) to the dog mummies of the Roman and Byzantine Periods (30 B.C.-642 A.D.).

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