Hey guys,

Well, as most have probably noticed, I'm a bit of an Ancient Egypt nut and although there are a couple of random news threads of relevance, There wasn't really a central place for general and open discussion on the subject.
The thought behind this thread is for anyone with the slightest interest or curiosity about anything Egyptian; be it current or ancient events, cultural or physical aspects of philosophy or objects and/or new discoveries or revelations relating to Egypt, that this could be a place of discussion as well as the display of pictorial relevance.


...



On Wednesday the 8th of June I attended the Tutankhamun Exhibition at the Melbourne Museum.
With Australia being the last stop on this prized collection's round world journey before returning to Egypt permanently, my Father saw this as a once in a life time opportunity for me to see a fraction of Ancient Egypt without actually flying overseas and hence gifted me a ticket for my recent Birthday.

Unfortunately, for security reasons , photography was not permitted within the actual exhibition which sucked but - fair enough. Outside the exhibition however, they did have a couple of displays in which photography was allowed so here are the few pics I was actually able to take:

1:1 Scale, Brass Replica of Tutankhamun's Skull derived from CRT Scans performed in '05










1:1 Scale, Cast Resin Replica of the Un-Wrapped remains of Pharaoh Tutankhamun










Inpu (Anubis) Life-Size Statue Standee - From Ibis Hotel Lobby



What was within the actual Exhibition however was light-years more amazing that the above!

The exhibition was broken up into 10 rooms with the 1st 5 housing objects that detailed Tutankhamun's ancestors, starting with his Great-Great Grandfather Amenhotep II and his wife, and with the last 5 rooms focusing on Tutankhamun's short life and reign.

The 1st thing that grabs you is the sheer beauty of these objects but then the realisation of just how old these objects are with some up to 3500 years old!
The insane attention to detail, intricacy and master-craftsmanship is truly incredible and with such objects as Tutankhamun's Great Aunt's Sarcophagus, gilded in Gold Leaf sheets, her Canopic Jars, which are far larger than what I thought they'd be, or her little Shabtis - All displayed truly mind-blowing levels of excellence.

Tutankhamun's leg of the exhibition was truly where the magic shone brightest - Especially when you round the corner of his Father Akhenaten's exhibit and are immediately presented with a black room with one solitary object within it. Positioned roughly 6ft from the back wall, mounted on a pedestal and protected by a Glass case, bathed in a rich golden light... Was the 1:1 scale bust of a 9 y/o Tutankhamun wearing the crown of a Prince - your eyes are instantly met with his gaze and with the sheer brilliance of the sculpt of this statue, which still bore it's original paint, you're suddenly enshrined with a feeling that you are standing before the Pharaoh himself
Truly, this was the defining moment of the exhibition for me because I must've stood there for about 5mins completely transfixed by this movingly life-like inanimate object - I had never felt such a moment of awe before.

Proceeding into the following 4 rooms, Tutankhamun's treasures looked as new as the day they were made, whilst some even showed signs that they were actually used throughout his lifetime (Which is believed to be the case with at least one of his chairs) but certain displays were not without their share of sombreness. The sarcophagi of of his highness's still born children, the hereditary deformities that exacerbated the ailments that lead to his death and the untimely prevention of seeing the completion of his country's return to normalcy after his Father's reign - really brought home the reality of how truly mortal he was in life but also how truly apparent it was that the end of the 18th Dynasty Pharaohs laid with this adolescent.

I really wish I could've taken some photos rather than trying to draw a picture in script but I hope this has formed a reasonable image in your mind's eye and I must say that if you've the opportunity? - I highly recommend you see the exhibition before it's closure on November 31st 2011 at which point, it will then embark on it's final journey home never to be seen outside of Egypt physically again.


I'd like to end this beginning by saying that whilst I hope to be able to visit Egypt myself one day and see more of this glorious chapter in Humanity's history - I truly hope that the current caretakers of Egypt's past understand, respect and are proud of the legacy that lies all around them and that they are able to swiftly find a peaceful and productive solution to their future not only for themselves, but for their children and the admiring visitors to their great nation.