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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 30 March - 5 April 2000 Issue No. 475
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Focus Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Unique display of masterpieces
By Nevine El-ArefEntitled "The Millennium Exhibition," the display in room 44 on the first floor of the Egyptian Museum was officially opened last Tuesday. It is a unique exhibition, which represents the combined efforts of foreign and Egyptian missions working in Egypt over the last 25 years. The enormously varied exhibits range from newly-excavated objects from the pre-dynastic period to Graeco-Roman times and are of both artistic and historical importance. For those enthralled by gold, the exhibition includes several golden objects found at such far-flung sites as Dush south of Kharga Oasis, Dahshur south of Saqqara and Tel Al-Dab'a in the Delta, together with two golden coins from the era of Alexander the Great.
The exhibition was opened by Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni, Gaballa Ali Gaballa, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and congress chairman and Zahi Hawass, general director of antiquities at Giza and congress general secretary.
Numerous archaeological missions from around the world, that had earlier concentrated their work on the salvage operations of Nubia, moved into the Nile Valley and the Delta in the 1970s after the completion of the High Dam.
The large number of exhibits is due to several reasons. These include the increase in the number of missions to Egypt; the need to excavate sites destined to be lost for posterity as a result of urban expansion and environmental pollution; and also the introduction of modern techniques first employed in Nubia.
Hawass described the exhibition as "a magnificent chance to show for the first time important and unique objects which reveal a great deal about the Pharaonic lifestyle and history of our country." Gaballa commented that the exhibition, which was organised by the SCA, took almost four months of joint activity by the SCA and the foreign missions to set up. Mohamed El-Shimi, director general of the Egyptian Museum, said that the exhibition includes "more than one hundred items gathered together from different archaeological areas, such as Giza, Saqqara, Alexandria, Abydos and the oases." The diverse exhibits have two things in common -- they were recently discovered and none has ever been previously displayed.
Among the most notable artefacts were those discovered by an Egyptian mission at Giza which include four statues of Inty-Shedu, overseer of shipping, at different stages of his life; a statue of the goddess Neith, and another of the dwarf Perni-Ankhu.
The statues of Inty-Shedu were discovered next to each other in a hidden chamber in a tomb in the upper section of the workmen's cemetery and are extremely well preserved. Hawass drew attention to a remarkable detail. "These statues all have moustaches," he said, adding that this was rare.
The small statue of the dwarf Perni-Ankhu was also found in the workmen's cemetery. It shows him with defects in his shoulders and legs, which appear to be genetic. A text near the base of the statue relates that "he pleases and amuses the king."
The German mission's contribution to the exhibition includes artefacts found at Abydos: pre-dynastic decorated pottery, a collection of ivory labels with the earliest stages of writing, an obsidian bowl and imported Canaanite ware. Mud seals with royal names, an ivory gaming stick and a flint knife are also on display as well as shawabtis (small statues).
From the Czech archaeological mission working at Abu Sir came a remarkable display of funerary equipment from the tomb of Iufaa, which was discovered intact two years ago. Two of the most noteworthy items in this funerary collection are an oval alabaster vase with two small handles and a magical spell from the Book of the Dead inscribed in hieratic.
Among the artefacts on display at "The Millennium Exhibition" are statues discovered in the last 25 years, such as the limestone head of Isis (above), wife of the chief steward to Amun, and a limestone statue of a nurse holding princes and princesses (right)
photos: Mohamed Wassim
The United States of America mission is presenting a jewellery collection which has been restored by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exquisite pieces belonged to Queen Weret and include a belt with ornaments shaped like cowrie shells, two anklets with claws, four decorative bracelets, a necklace with a pendant bearing a Pharaonic text and two scarabs inlaid with turquoise and inscribed with the names of Amenemhat II.
The display of the French archaeological mission comprises what is known as the Dush jewellery collection. It dates from the Roman period and includes a priest's golden diadem adorned with an image of the god Serapis made during the reign of Hadrian, a gold pectoral with gold plaques suspended from a wire, and several golden bracelets decorated with leaves, some inlaid with carnelian.
Difficult as it is to single out individual exhibits when faced with an outstanding collection of ancient masterpieces, what cannot be overlooked are such original masterpieces as two limestone statues of nurses dating from the 18th dynasty, one holding four princes and princesses with a ruby placed over their hearts, and another holding a prince believed to be Tutankhamun.
The exhibition will remain open for the duration of the Congress and may continue afterwards.
