By Nevine El-Aref PRECIOUS amulets that once decorated the mummy of the boy king Tutankhamun are on special display at the Egyptian museum, Nevine El-Aref toured the new exhibit. The three-month exhibition hall on the ground floor of Cairo's Egyptian Museum is currently hosting the collection of splendid amulets once concealed within the cloth wrappings of the mummy of Tutankhamun. The 12 layers of cloth wrapped around Tutankhamun's mummy originally enveloped 143 objects. On the neck alone were 20 amulets arranged in six groups, each separated from the next by several layers of wrappings. According to ancient Egyptian belief, such amulets were protective charms that through the power of magic helped ensure the dead's safe passage into the afterlife. By multiplying the layers of bandages, more and more amulets could be placed directly over any physical member. After the discovery of the tomb of the young Pharaoh by Howard Carter in 1922, the amulets and jewellery that decorated the mummy were removed from the body and permanently exhibited at the museum. Among Tutankhamun's mummy amulets are the chased gold falcon collar with small counterpoise, and the fine dagger and sheath which lay on top of the abdomen. There is also a beautiful cobra amulet. Among the objects on show at the exhibition are chains, necklaces, pendants, earrings, bracelets, anklets, sheaths for fingers and toes, pectorals and a large piece of jewellery worn on the chest. Large black-and-white images featuring various stages of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb hang on the walls of the exhibition hall, along with other photographs of Carter at the burial. Also on show are paintings by the German artist Herbert Grimm, who has lived in Cairo since August 2005. He has long explored the possibility of integrating the treasures of the Pharaonic era into his visual concepts. His fascination with the variety of shapes of Tutankhamun's amulets has led to the creation of numerous artworks in which the artist exposes the delicate burial objects arranged in an abstract way with expressive use of colour and background, giving the viewer a chance to contemplate the Pharaonic objects from a totally new viewpoint. The exposition presents the result of Grimm's artistic work in Egypt. Egyptian Museum Director Wafaa El-Sediq said Grimm's work had aroused the interest of the Art History Workshop of the Deutsche Schule der Borromöerinnen Cairo, directed by Andre Koll. This group dedicates their work to the systematic study of the historical and mythological background of the burial objects. By scientific research and investigation, the group has gained insight into the origins of Egypt's modern culture which is so rich in Pharaonic remains. Through collaboration with Grimm they could experience the working methods of a modern artist and gain new perspectives for their own work. The treasures of the Egyptian Museum are the vestiges of an age that are recognised as one of the origins of Egyptian society. Working with the objects in the exhibition enhanced the workshop's participants awareness of their own objectives, which is also based on exploration. Manifold documentary material presented in the exposition shows the dedication of the group. The unique combination of original objects from the Egyptian Museum, the artistic creation, and the dedicated scientific work of the students forms an extraordinary exhibition that encourages the visitor to go on researching or simply to contemplate the magnificence of the works.
