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Al-Ahram Weekly 1 - 7 July 1999 Issue No. 436 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 1 - 7 July 1999 Issue No. 436
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Special Interview Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Pharaohs in France
By Nevine El-ArefA truly remarkable collection of Egyptian art dating back to the time of the Pyramids is now being shown in Paris. More than 200 pieces are being exhibited as part of the 'Egyptian art at the time of the Pyramids' display in the Grand Palais.
A stunning array of statues, bas-reliefs and jewellery has been selected from major museums all around the world for the display. There are also maquettes (miniature replicas) of temples and pyramids to demonstrate the high standard of culture in Egypt's 'aristocratic era'.
Preparations for the exhibition took almost 10 years. After it closes in Paris at the end of July, it will travel across the Atlantic for a three-state US tour, starting at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. In mid-February, 2000, the display will be on show at the Royal Museum of Ontario, in Toronto, Canada, for three months.
"No exhibition has ever been organised before on the art of the Old Kingdom," said Zahi Hawass, director-general of the Giza Plateau. He said that some of the finest artefacts ever found have been gathered together for the first time since they were excavated a century ago. "They are from pharaohs' tombs, mastabas and richly decorated burial places of high-ranking officials and priests," he said. "For years, researches have been mainly focused on the gigantic architecture of the Old Kingdom, so other forms of art were neglected. This exhibition will fill that gap."
One of the finest collections of Egyptian antiquities ever assembled is currently on display in Paris. More than 200 items are being shown as part of the 'Egyptian art at the time of the pyramids' exhibition. The wondrous assortment of piecies is on show at the Grand Palais. Ornate clothing, hieroglyphic reliefs and stunning statues unearthed by archaeologists, such as Zahi Hawass (left), make up a display
And what a gap it fills! It is hard to believe that such a high degree of workmanship was achieved so long ago. We are all aware of the excellence associated with the treasures of Tutankhamun. But this latest exhibition reveals that there was a search for protection during a much earlier period.
The show concentrates mainly on sculpture, finely crafted jewellery, pots and objects with the most well-preserved colours.
"The Grand Palais was specially prepared for the exhibition," said Gaballa Ali Gaballa, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). Soft lighting and ochre-coloured walls decorated with a simple geometrical frieze were used to set off the mysterious beauty of the objects gathered. Gaballa said, "The pieces come from the world's most prestigious collections including the Louvre, the British Museum, the Metropolitan, plus the museums of Berlin and Cairo."
One thing that emerges strongly in the exhibition is the importance of the family in Ancient Egyptian society. This is reflected in many statues on display. The severe-looking black granite statue of the majestic royal couple of Menkaure and his wife Khamerernebty, for example, is widely regarded as an attempt to humanise royal power. The queen drapes an arm around her husband's waist and rests her hand affectionately on his upper arm. This statue is from the Boston Museum collection and was discovered in 1910 at Giza.
Affection between husband and wife is also apparent in statues of high officials, like the coloured limestone statue of Iaib and his spouse, the parents of Khufu's tomb guard and another of Memi and his wife Sabo. The latter is part of the Metropolitan collection and is exceptional in that Memi passes his arm around the shoulders of his spouse. The family was the epitome of Ancient Egyptian society.
Four unique statues unearthed at Giza are also on display. They were made by an artisan called Intichedou. The four statues portray him at different stages of his life. They are of reddish-brown limestone. "In one statue, the wide shoulders, thick moustache and muscled torso suggest a man at the height of his physical and intellectual powers," Hawass explained. He said that the other statues showed a man with narrow shoulders, asymmetrical lips, a small chin and short wavy hair.
One of the exhibition's highlights is a beautiful bead-net dress from the Boston Museum. This type of apparel was worn on top of an ordinary linen dress on special occasions. Such clothing was often depicted being worn by goddesses.
The white limestone statue of the Hemiunu, the great vizier of the fourth dynasty considered responsible for the building of the Great Pyramid, is also on display. "It is a fine piece from the Hildesheim Museum. It shows a typical kind of vizier who held such a responsible post. The statue portrays him with strong features and full-bodied with big breasts like a woman," said Gaballa.
There is also a collection of dwarfs in various working activities, including musicians, bread bakers and beer servers. Unlike the Graeco-Roman era when such jobs were seen as a matter of "fun", these positions held great responsibility during Pharaonic times.
The exhibition does little to resolve the biggest mystery of all -- how Giza's colossal Pyramids and the great Sphinx were built. What it does emphasise is that the pyramid-builders were Egyptians and that the Old Kingdom -- regarded as a watershed of achievement by many scholars -- was indeed a 'great age'.
Egyptian food like kushari, fuul and tamiya, and drinks such as karkadeh (hibiscus juice), tamarind juice and kamar el-din (apricot juice) are served to exhibition visitors. A catalogue with a colour picture of each exhibit is also distributed.
