The exhibition
The mysteries of ancient Egypt and the culture’s fascination with life after death still compel our wonder. Treasured possessions and everyday items the ancient Egyptians sealed away in tombs reveal what life was like for one of the world’s earliest cultures. Magnificent temples, monumental statues, and reliefs carved with incredible skill by royal artists attest to the power of the pharaohs and the wealth of their land. The aesthetic quality of these works still resonates with us today.
Temples and Tombs: Treasures of Egyptian Art from The British Museum features 85 renowned masterworks and rarely seen treasures from The British Museum’s exceptional collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. Outside of Egypt The British Museum houses the largest collection of Egyptian antiquities in the world.
Sculpture, relief, papyri, jewelry, cosmetic implements, and funerary items in a variety of media will provide a rare look at more than 3,000 years of Egyptian history, from the Old Kingdom’s Third Dynasty (about 2686 BC) to the Roman occupation of the fourth century AD
The objects in the exhibition are organized around four themes:
- The King and the Temple
- Objects from the Lives of Artists and Nobles
- Statues of Egyptians from Temples and Tombs
- The Tomb, Death, and the Afterlife
The thematic divisions allow audiences to examine these treasures within the context of the ancient Egyptian worldview and their purpose in society.
The exhibition is located in the Meymandi Exhibition Center, on the Lower Level of the Museum.
The exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and The British Museum.
This exhibition is made possible, in part, by the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation Fund for Collection-Based Exhibitions at the American Federation of Arts.
