Saturday, September 03, 2005

Quest for Immortality Exhibition

A review of the exhibition at the Dayton Institute of Art: "A colossal, 4,000-pound, red granite head of Ramesses II towers over visitors in the Dayton Art Institute's roomy Great Hall. In another room filled only with golden objects, a mask, girdle, statues, plaques and thin sandals beckon with a soft, alluring gleam. At the center of a darkened room, a linen-wrapped mummy lies snug against the sides of its painted wooden coffin, the lid hovering above it. Hanging on the walls are eerily back-lit X-rays and CT-scans of the body inside the six layers of cloth strips. In cases throughout the rooms are collars, necklaces and bracelets exquisitely laced with beads of gold and semi-precious stones such as carnelian, lapis lazuli, turquoise and glass. Death never looked so good. Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt, the special fall exhibition at the institute through Jan. 3, is a powerful, deft and focused exploration of the Egyptians' approach to death."
See the article for more.

No comments: