Ancient Egyptian exhibit set for five-week run at CSUB
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“The Art of Death in Ancient Egypt” will feature more than 50 funerary items, including a mummy named Inty-taway and a spectacular hand-painted human-shaped sarcophagus (coffin), most of which have never been displayed before. All of the artifacts are on loan from the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology at U.C. Berkeley and were mostly collected for Mrs. Hearst by the famous archaeologist, George Reisner, at the turn of the last century.
The ancient Egyptian belief in the afterlife was pervasive and complex, and consumed the daily thoughts of the living from the greatest pharaoh, all the way down to the poorest farmer. It was important to properly prepare for the next world and include within the grave or tomb a vast array of magical implements to ensure immortality. Many of these objects were (and still are) aesthetically pleasing as well as metaphysically practical, designed to please the numerous deities of the afterlife as well as the human eye.
Another vital aspect of the afterlife was the preservation of the dead, making them appear as close to lifelike as possible so that the spirit aspects of the deceased and other deities would be able to recognize the remains of the dead in the tomb. This is why preservation of the body became critical to the Egyptians, and the art of mummification reached its pinnacle around 4,000 years ago.
When: Oct. 1-Nov. 8
Where: Todd Madigan Gallery at Cal State Bakersfield, 9001 Stockdale Highway
Gallery hours: Noon – 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; noon – 8 p.m. Fridays
Admission: Free, but donations are welcome
Parking: $2
Information: 654-2487 – www.csub.edu
Special events for the community are planned throughout the exhibit’s run.
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