A week ago, the Wrenaissance Man and I went to see the King Tut exhibit at Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts. I had been fortunate enough to see the blockbuster Tut show that toured the US in the 1970s, but Wrenaissance Man had never had the opportunity to see the treasures of the Boy King’s tomb.
Sponsored by the National Geographic Society, Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs features artifacts from all dynastic periods that have been discovered in the last 25 or 30 years. A bit less than half of the exhibit is devoted to these new findings, while the curators have chosen to focus on recent discoveries about the DNA heritage and physical status of Tutankhamun in the final four rooms devoted to his tomb proper.
The newly uncovered artifacts are indeed stunning. There are many statuettes that have retained their surface paint and inlaid obsidian/quartz eyes. Highlighted are the small statuettes of a man named Inty Shetu, which were found in his burial chambers. Inty Shetu was a construction overseer for the pharaohonic tombs, and his own tomb is the first one found of an individual who was a mere commoner and not a member of either the royal dynasties or the clerk/priesthood mandarinate. The portrait sculptures are also unique because they depict this man at varying points in his life, from adolescent youth to portly middle age.
Another beautiful find was the sarcophagus made for the cat of Prince Thutmose. The lively and sensitive engravings portray a real animal, and the front and back panels are slightly asymmetrical in the details depicted.
There are also statues portraying Queen Hatshepshut, who was the only known female pharaoh, with all the male insignia of the royal role, including the ceremonial, artificial, braided beard and woven headdress. A coffer intricately patterned in enamelled, turquoise-blue smalt and gold inlay and about the size of a modern end table was once a gift from a pharaoh to his (well-born) commoner in-laws, and exemplifies the level of quality and preservation of the artifacts on display.
The exhibit’s curators have chosen different objects from Tutankhamun’s tomb than the items that were displayed in the last great exhibit. The extraordinary funerary mask of Tut is not included in the current tour, as the decision was made at the end of the last tour to keep this treasure at home in Egypt. The young king’s bed and throne, used during his lifetime and buried with him, form part of the list of newly exhibited objects from the burial chambers. Also included are the golden sandals placed on Tut’s mummy and the special sarcophagus made for his stomach, one of a set created for the royal offal. Exquisitely rendered shabtis, or miniature servant statues, are a just a few of the more than 400 such magical figures buried with the king to ensure that he would never have to lift a finger in labor in his afterlife. A massive colossus of Tut is another of the artifacts debuting in this exhibit.
The curators have focused on explaining the full history of the pharaohs and their dynasties, and Tutankhamun’s position within this lineage. Wall plaques, timelines, video screens and an audio tour flesh out the details of ancient Egypt’s story. For the most part, the multi-media infoblitz is unobtrusive and complementary to the objects on display. The curators do indulge in a small bit of cheesy showbusiness in the portentous video announcements (accompanied by dramatic stage lighting!) at the main entry to the exhibit and the secondary doorway leading to the display of Tut’s burial chambers.
We chose to rent the audio tour when we bought tickets. Having grown up in an anti-audio-tour home, I was somewhat leery whether the tape would provide useful information, or simply disturb my ability to observe and absorb the qualities of the items exhibited. Renting the audio package is well worth the extra $6 expense. The information on the recording is different from the graphic materials and wall texts, and the various narrators provide interesting insights into the specific highlighted artifacts as well as about Egyptian culture and burial techniques. The audio tour is housed in a sleek case about the size of a tv remote. It’s simple to shift between tracks, and the sound quality is very clear.
The exhibit, Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, runs until April 15, 2012 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Its final US venue will be at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, WA, from May 24, 2012 to January 6, 2013. MFAH members may purchase tickets through the museum, while non-members may buy tickets through the official King Tut/National Geographic website. All tickets are timed entries on the half-hour. Once you enter the exhibit, you may take as long as you like to view it; however, exiting is final and no re-entry is permitted. The crowds in 2011 are not nearly as oppressive as the 1970s tour. You can easily spend some time poring over the details of a display without too much jostling from other tour visitors.
