MoAW presents
TUTANKHAMUN: "Wonderful Things"
Bes - Goddess of Hearth and Home
Open Sunday, July 4th
12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
last admission one hour before closing
New Member Benefit
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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.
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.
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!” exclamation by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon.
Artifacts related to the personal life of the pharaoh such as his bed, sandals, and jewelry, followed by artifacts associated with his public life including his royal state chariot, throne, and scepters, and, finally, the burial chamber with his bejeweled mummy with crown, mummifying bed, and wishing cup, to mention a few, are just some of the sights you would be treated to.
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“...as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold - everywhere the glint of gold. For the moment - an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by - I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand the suspense any longer, inquired anxiously, 'Can you see anything?' it was all I could do to get out the words, 'Yes, wonderful things.”― Howard Carter, The Tomb of Tutankhamen
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Bes Unguent Vessel.
Inscribed with the royal cartouches of Tutankhamun and Ankhesenamun, this whimsical alabaster unguent vase, with its inset ivory tongue, is fashioned in the form of the lusty household deity Bes. The divinity of the hearth with no temple of his own, this deformed dwarf spirit was revered in the humblest of homes. The god of marriage and domestic bliss, Bes was often portrayed as a lion. This vase was found in the Annex; its crown, torn off by the tomb robbers, still retained some of its original contents. Standing with one paw resting on the hieroglyph that represents protection, the figure was believed to possess the power to ward off evil influences. Besides the scheming vizier Ay, another treacherous element in the pharaoh’s court was the powerful general Horemheb, whose chief wife was Ay’s daughter Mutnodjme (Nefertiti’s younger sister), claimed the throne. With the help of the Amun priesthood, he immediately embarked on a ruthless campaign to deface and usurp all monuments to the gods erected by the Amarnan royal family. Employing the faithful Maya as his overseer of finance, Horemheb (who was succeeded by Ramesses I) proceeded to sack the tombs of his heretic predecessors with a vengeance, leaving only Tutankhamun’s treasures untouched. He had already done everything in his power to eradicate all memory of the young pharaoh’s reign. Buried under the desert sand, Tutankhamun’s name would be forgotten. Sealed with the darkness of his tomb, however, the pharaoh’s fantastic ritual equipment had been assembled to safeguard his immortality.
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Lion Unguent Jar.
The serene pose of this recumbent lion, unusual in its time, first appeared in a pair of granite lions intended for the monumental temple built in Nubia (Sudan) by the pharaoh Amenhotep III. For 20 years after his death, one of the lions remained unfinished until his grandson, the pharaoh Tutankhamun respectfully had it completed along with a proud inscription. Found in the Burial Chamber near the doorway of the outermost shrine, this delightful alabaster unguent jar (suggesting the age-old association of royalty with lions) may have been a ritual or sentimental commemoration of the young pharaoh’s reverent act of devotion.
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Standing on 4 carved heads representing vanquished African and Asiatic enemies of Egypt (a recurrent motif among the sovereign’s possessions), the vase is incised and stained with scenes of lions and hounds hunting bulls and ibex, surmounted on its swivel lid by a recumbent lion inscribed with the pharaoh’s prenomen. |
The lion’s decorative tongue of painted ivory matches the traditionally depicted tongue of the dwarf god Bes, whose head is emerging from a pair of carved lotus columns supporting the lid. Once a luxurious aromatic balm, the long desiccated contents of the vessel consisted of about a pound of animal fat infused with fragrant gum resins. Howard Carter found evidence in the tomb of “at least 350 liters of oils and other unctuous materials.” |
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
So many reasons to join MoAW, you help keep the museum open, allow us to acquire new treasured artifacts and fossil displays, plan and present programs, to help local students learn about ancient civilizations and prehistoric life.
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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