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Saturday January 25, 2020
Tutankhamun
Commemorating 100 years since the discovery of the now famous tomb,
I got tickets for this much-publicised event long in advance. I wanted to go as a sort of commemoration of my sister and I going to the exhibition at the British Museum in 1972. At that time, (amazingly to me, practically half a century ago in itself), we waited in a queue miles down the road, for what seemed like ages; it was a bit like viewing the Crown Jewels, or the Bayeux Tapestry - filing past. I think for today's event at the Saatchi Gallery, it was more free format, with the queuing pretty well-managed using timed entries - however, it was, predictably, really crowded.
From memory, the exhibition was smaller than 1972 - and, as made clear beforehand, did not include the trademark "mask", since after the stresses of that tour in the seventies, the Egyptian Government wisely decided the major treasures were not to leave their home in Egypt ever again. However, there were so very many of the "wonderful things" on view as well as a lot of really good use of multimedia, providing additional interest and mitigating the negative effects of the crowding.
Once outside the gallery again, we found the food market, and ate interesting scotch eggs for lunch "on the hoof" in the open air. [I chose a never-before-experienced fishy one, and can only say I can't imagine why I ever thought it might be nice...].
I see there is a museum in Dorchester housing a recreation of Tutankhamun's tomb and treasures. I have not been there (yet) but it seems well worth a visit if you can't get to Egypt.
There is also an intriguing Griffith Institute project (part of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford University), to make their many resources available on-line - including the records of Howard Carter.
(Harry Burton black and white photograph, digitally colourised.)
Posted by Christina at 9:57 AM. Category: Days Out
