MoAW presents
Spotlight:
TUTANKHAMUN: Wonderful Things
Treasures From The Pharaoh's Tomb
The Canopic Shrine
Guarding the Viscera of the Pharaoh
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From the artisans of the Pharaonic Village in Egypt, this dazzling collection of reproductions of Tutankhamun’s legendary treasures recreates the richest archaeological find of all time.
You'll see 124 replicas of the Pharaoh’s sacred and personal possessions (including his magnificent state chariot, golden shrines, beds, thrones, jewelry, spectacular funerary mask, and royal mummy) along with associated artifacts from the period surrounding Tutankhamun’s reign that reconstruct both the historic discovery of the tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 and the life and times of Egypt’s celebrated boy king.
An innocent puppet ruler, Tutankhamun was caught in the midst of a dangerous and profound political, spiritual, and artistic revolution against the entire pantheon of ancient Egyptian gods by the first monotheistic religious cult in history. The pharaoh’s much overlooked African heritage is explored, along with the religious magic of the sacred objects, and the infamous curse of Tutankhamun.
After creating a cavity in the doorway to illuminate the entrance of the tomb with a candle, "Can you see anything?" asked Lord Carnarvon. "Yes. Wonderful things!" exulted Howard Carter. This classic exhibition vividly brings to life the enigmatic opulent age of 18th Dynasty Egypt.
In celebration of Howard Carter's discovery of the tomb in 1922, MoAW will be sharing the TUTANKHAMUN: Wonderful Things exhibition with Turtle Bay Exploration Park located in Redding, California from March 5 through September 5, 2022, to commemorate the 100th anniversary. This comprehensive collection of stunning artifacts will return to MoAW to complete the celebration with new and enhanced acquisitions in time for the 2022-2023 school season.
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"Gracious Figures with outstretched protective arms, so natural and lifelike in their pose, so pitiful and compassionate the expressions on their faces, that one felt it almost sacrilege to look at them." - Howard Carter
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Golden Shrine
and Tutelary Goddesses
On the east wall of the Treasury stood a spectacular, gilded wooden shrine mounted on a sled beneath a canopy and crowned with a frieze of solar cobras, of which Howard Carter was to write: Facing the doorway – stood the most beautiful monument that I have ever seen – so lovely that it made one gasp with wonder and admiration.
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Ritually decorated in sunken relief, the golden shrine housed an alabaster Canopic chest containing the embalmed viscera of the young pharaoh. Guarding the Canopic shrine on all sides (although carelessly placed with regard to their proper orientation) were the 4 gilt tutelary goddesses of the dead, each distinguished by the hieroglyphic emblem worn on her head. |
The liver was protected by Isis (crowned with a throne emblem), the lungs by Nephthys (crowned with a temple emblem), the stomach by Neith (crowned with an emblem of crossed bows), and the intestines by Selket (crowned with the scorpion emblem). |
Selket
Of the 4 stunning tutelary goddesses, Howard Carter was to write: Gracious figures with outstretched protective arms, so natural and lifelike in their pose, so pitiful and compassionate the expressions on their faces, that one felt it almost sacrilege to look at them. Second only to Isis in her connection with divine magic and escorted by scorpions (whose emblem adorns her head), the enchanting goddess Selket (or Selkis) is associated with childbirth and nursing as well as with the magical treatment of scorpion stings. She was guardian of the genie (or angel) Qebhsenuef, who was identified with the pharaoh’s intestines. Made of giltwood and gesso, she is portrayed with her hair gathered into a linen kerchief. Over her pleated shawl and gown, she wears an ornamental broad collar. The soft curves of her hips and stomach are distinctive of the Amarna style, but the sideways turn of her head, which faces a different direction than those of her 3 companion goddesses, defies the fundamental tradition of frontality in ancient Egyptian art. Her painted eyes, with their lifelike gaze, convey an eternal warning to anyone who dares to approach.
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MoAW's mission is to educate a diverse audience about the history of ancient civilizations and prehistoric life using fossils and artifacts from a variety of cultures and time periods; to enhance universal curriculum development for local and surrounding school districts, colleges, and universities while establishing museum diversity for the Coachella Valley.
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
The last admission is taken one hour before closing.
Admission:
$15.00 Adults
$12.00 Students, Seniors, & Military
$ 3.00 Discount available for Coachella Valley Residents
$10.00 Group Rate for 10 or more individuals.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MoAW is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, the American Alliance of Museums, and the California Association of Museums.
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Next Week:
Do you have a favorite piece at MoAW you would like to see highlighted in our weekly email? You can visit www.moaw.org, see the collections tab, visit the catalogs, and view Spotlights From The Past.
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Members Perks
The newest perk of membership: Free admission to over 1,200 museums nationwide through the North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM) Plus, discounts at their museum shops and restaurants (if given to their members). Local museums include the Palm Springs Art Museum and Cabot's Pueblo Museum, several museums in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, throughout California, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, plus Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is available to all members at the Donor Level ($125.00) or higher. Current members who qualify will be receiving new membership cards with the NARM logo to be used at participating museums.
Current members who would like to upgrade their membership to take advantage of this new benefit please give us a call, (442) 268-5004.
Click below for more information and to join.
THANK YOU
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CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY EXCLUSIVELY
AT THE
MUSEUM OF ANCIENT WONDERS
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FACES OF AFRICA:
A Mystical View of
Tribal Heritage
(38 Replica Masks and Sculptures
of African Antiquity)
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TUTANKHAMUN:
"Wonderful Things"
Treasures From The Pharaoh's Tomb
(124 Egyptian replicas)
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MESOZOICA:
The Age of Dinosaurs
(Approximately 100 fossil-cast dinosaur elements and fully-mounted skeletons from around the world.)
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LUCY:
The Story of Human Origins
(Courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins and the National Museum of Ethiopia,
Addis Ababa)
On view exclusively at the
Museum of Ancient Wonders
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