Sunday, September 28, 2008

Incredible Exhibit on Ancient Egypt

From ArtDaily.org New Gallery at the World Museum Liverpool Looks at the World of the Pharaohs Opens in December September 28, 2008 LIVERPOOL.- A major new gallery at the World Museum Liverpool looks at the incredible world of the Pharaohs and the remarkable culture that built the Pyramids and the Sphinx. Ancient Egypt, opening on December 2008, contains 1,500 fascinating exhibits from the museum’s world-class collections. One of its great treasures – the vividly-coloured belt of the last great Pharaoh, Rameses III – is going on display for the first time since before the Second World War. Dating from 1180 BC, the monarch probably wore it in battle while riding his chariot. This is a unique survival from the ancient world – there is nothing like it even in Tutankhamen’s Tomb. Among the items on display are the mummy said to have inspired H Rider Haggard’s classic fantasy adventure She, about a beautiful queen who lives 2,000 years waiting for her lost love before shrivelling up into a pile of dust. The best-selling Victorian author was a keen collector of artefacts and helped popularise Ancient Egypt. Visitors can 'unwrap' a mummy without it being touched using a computer interactive. Ancient Egypt follows the development of the kingdom from the time of Menes, the first king of Egypt who reigned around 3000 BC, tthrough the days of the Pharaohs, up to the time of the last ruler – the legendary Queen Cleopatra, who died in 30 BC – into the Greek and Roman periods. ************************************************************************************* For the record, Rameses III's woven belt is 3,180 plus years old. It is absolutely incredible that it survived - thank Goddess for the dry Egyptian climate that made this possible. Ancient textiles can teach us a lot about a civilization, including if and whether its techniques of weaving and use of materials spread to other cultures. Another remarkable cache of preserved ancient textiles was found in the Tarim Basin in far western China on the preserved "Mummies of Urumchi." Experts examined the weaving in those textiles and concluded that it shared distinctive similarities with methods originated far to the west in eastern Europe more than 4,000 years ago, probably making its way through trade and settlers moving from the west into the forbidding territory of the Tien Shen. I also spent some time, back in the '80's, (that's 1980's, not 1880's) reading a couple of H. Rider Haggard's novels, including "She." The linguistic phrasing is a bit antiquated (High Victorian), but the stories are absolutely fabulous and well worth reading. I have to say, though, that I DO NOT REMEMBER the Queen crumbling away into a dust pile at the end of the novel. Nope - I seem to remember that a young super hunky guy stayed behind and became her mate... I believe in one movie version Ursula Andress was actually played the Queen. she was hubba hubba back then.

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