We were totally unprepared for such a large quantity of visitors, and in view of the preservation of the antiquities they being very crowded and in poor preservation, we were obliged to refuse admission until some preparation was made to safeguard the objects. - Howard Carter
TUTANKHAMUN:
"Wonderful Things"
Treasures From The
Pharaoh's Tomb
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.
124 replicas of the Pharaoh’s sacred and personal possessions are on view (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.
This classic exhibition vividly brings to life the enigmatic opulent age of 18th Dynasty Egypt, presented in five areas of display beginning with an introduction to Ancient Egypt with a focus on Akhenaten and Nefertiti and the archaeological discovery of the Canopic and Anubis shrines flanked by the twin Ka statutes, which provoked the now famous, “What do you see? I see Wonderful Things!” exclaimed Howard Carter to Lord Carnarvon.
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Emperor Scorpion, Africa
The Pharaoh’s Curse.
Undisturbed for over 3,000 years, when the silence of Tutankhamun’s tomb was broken by Howard Carter and his wealthy aristocratic patron, Lord Carnarvon, the public became enthralled overnight. As the diggers were breaking through the sacred seals of the royal necropolis stamped on the plaster wall securing the tomb’s entrance, a cobra (the pharaoh’s ancient emblem) entered Carter’s house overlooking the valley and killed his pet songbird. The sudden death of Lord Carnarvon following the discovery instantly gave rise to rumors of a curse. Complications resulting from an insect bite he nicked while shaving killed him before he ever got to see Tutankhamun unveiled. The lights mysteriously went out in Cairo when he died. At the same moment, at Carnarvon’s estate in England, his terrier howled and dropped dead. A specialist en route to X-ray the mummy died suddenly. While visiting the tomb, an American railroad tycoon caught a cold and died. After suffering a breakdown, Carter’s chief assistant died before the excavation was completed, and a noted French Egyptologist fell to his death following a visit to the tomb. Carter’s death was not so swift; he lived to endure the shame and disappointment of being locked out of the tomb by the Egyptian government. Although he was later allowed to return and finish clearing the tomb (a task which took 10 years to complete), with his eminent patron gone Carter’s notoriety waned, along with his resources for remaining in Egypt. His embittered final days in England were spent in lonely obscurity.
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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 the magical treatment of scorpion stings. She was the guardian of the genie (or angel) Qebhsenuef, who was identified with the pharaoh’s mummified 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
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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Coming Attraction
March through September 2022
the Museum of Ancient Wonders
presents
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VESSELS OF THE GODS
Treasures of the Ancient Greeks
1650 to 410 B.C.E
Reflecting the brilliance of a millennium of ancient Aegean culture, four distinct periods produced the designs of these vases: Minoan, Mycenaean, Corinthian, and Attic. Essentially consisting of silhouetted figures drawn against a background of red, black, or white, this art form gradually dies out after the Persian wars, c. 475-450 B.C.E. Shaped and painted by hand, these exquisite reproductions were created in Greece by master artists from the originals housed in The National Museum, Athens, The Heraklion Museum, The Thera Museum, The Corinth Museum, The Delphi Museum, The Louvre Museum, The Vatican Museum, and The Museo Civico, Brescia.
Please, feel free to preview this collection on MoAW's website: www.moaw.org
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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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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)
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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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