Tutankhamun

When I was a little boy, I wanted to be, not a train driver, but an archaeologist.  In fact, I wanted to dig in the Middle East, and discover new civilisations in Egypt and Iraq, but I gave this up because of a total inability to learn languages.  In the end, my archaeological career was confined to a few summers worth of digging in Saxon and mediaeval Southampton, which was interesting enough, and a visit to the British Museum with my father in the 1970s to the Tutankhamun exhibition.

That exhibition was wonderful, though after four and a half hours queuing, we were hurried through a very crowded set of rather dark rooms stretching to see over other people for a clear view of the wonderful artefacts, including the famous gold mask.  Last weekend, at the O2 centre in Greenwich, I went to a very different Tutankamun exhibition.  Modern exhibition management meant we had timed tickets which led to a completely uncrowded experience, with a very spacious exhibition with lots of wonderful pieces, excellently lit and clearly displayed.  There was a dearth of the really big items from the tomb itself, but lots of preparatory material from slightly earlier periods, and then some fine smaller items from Tutankamun’s tomb itself.

Highlights for me included some very French looking furniture, a marvellous black panther I immediately christened Bagheera, and an ostrich feather fan.  If you get a chance to go, and it’s on until the end of August, I’d recommend it.  Useful but tacky website here!

Comments

[Peter the flautist]

Possibly my friend Dark Puss? I have been to Cairo and Luxor (by train), cycled in the Valley of the Kings and it was all a splendid Chritmas/New Year holiday about 20 years ago. Happy memories!

[glo]

I haven't visited Egypt and the Cairo museums yet but it's a must-do before I die.
It was a wonderful civilization with skillfull craftsmen, artists and builders. And they were great cat lovers too. Cats were really revered and respected, and one of their gods, among other animal-shaped gods, was a cat. Guess who will be very pleased to hear that?