Last week I took a few days off work and my mom and I headed up to San Francisco to see the King Tut exhibit at the de Young Museum. I know some of you were looking forward to pictures, but I have none, since they are not allowed. I did find a few on Google to give you an idea of what I saw, and I also have a few of San Francisco. The view from the top of the tower of the de Young is amazing…
Also, there is a reconstructed Dutch windmill in one corner of Golden Gate Park. Who knew?
Anyways, back to the exhibit. It was marvelous. If you go, my advice is to get the earliest tickets possible (9am for us), as the exhibit is soon overrun by school kids. It starts with a brief (90 seconds) video, and then you are let into the first of 10 galleries. The first few galleries focus on Tutankhamun’s genealogy, and information about his possible ancestors. As you move through the galleries the artifacts from Tut’s tomb become more prevalent. There are beautifully carved chests and chairs, ankhs, scepters and flails, the stunning gold coffin of one of his female ancestors, lots of shabtis, urns to hold mummified organs, games and all sorts of other wonderful things. One of the most impressive was this small coffinette which held Tut’s mummified liver:
This pendant was also gorgeous. Check out all the details:
The final gallery is all about Tut. There is a holographic representation of his coffin. The first image shows the coffin. Then it opens to show the mummy. Superimposed on the mummy are images of some of the gold artifacts found on his body which are on display in the gallery, such as his gold diadem.
The final image is of the mummy unwrapped. It’s very moving, although a bit sad to think of everything that has been done to the tomb and his body over the years since the tomb was discovered.
Besides the exhibit, my mom and I spent time wandering through the rest of the de Young, the Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, Sausalito and Fisherman’s Wharf. We did a lot of walking and ate some delicious food and drank some wine.
It was a good trip.
We saw the Egyptian exhibit at the Met his year and got to talking to someone who worked there and he said the ancient Egyptians spent their whole lives preparing to die. It all seems kind of sad when you think about it.
.-= Kathy´s last blog ..Mailbox Monday =-.
But if they believed in life after death, there’s an element of hope there. Thinking of the time involved in creating all of the items is boggling, though.
“It was a good trip.” Hmm, I sense some understatement here …
Sounds like you had a wonderful time – I so wish I could see this exhibit!
.-= Heather J.´s last blog ..October ’09 Recap =-.
And now I’m pouting about going back to work tomorrow.
It’ll be in Denver next. That’s marginally closer to you!
Wow, I’m in awe! Glad to hear you all had a great time!
Thanks for sharing with us!
.-= Melody´s last blog ..Monday Memes =-.
Awe is a great word to describe the feeling at seeing the exhibition.
Cool! The photos are so vivid and amazing!
.-= Jenners´s last blog ..Review: The Handy Answer Book for Kids (And Parents): 2nd Edition by Gina Misiroglu =-.
Umm, yeah…Google has some great photographers.
I used to live in San Francisco- your beautiful photos made me feel so nostalgic. I’ve walked by that very windmill! The exhibit looks awesome- wish it was traveling near me soon.
.-= Jeane´s last blog ..Right Address…. Wrong Planet =-.
I was amazed by how big the windmill was! In all my trips to SF I don’t know how I managed to miss it.
Nice writeup. I wish I got to see all of the pretty golden stuff
.-= El3ments´s last blog ..Interesting News Articles =-.
Thanks! It was very shiny.
I saw this at exhibit in Chicago a few years ago. It was awesome!
.-= heidenkind´s last blog ..I Shot You Babe =-.
Wow… That was awesome.
I really loved that pendant and the diadem.
And the view is lovely! That makes me wish …!!!
.-= Veens´s last blog ..Family Plots: Love, Death & Tax Evasion by Mary Patrick Kavanaugh =-.
I saw the exhibit in Seattle years ago — wasn’t it totally amazing? All that gold.
.-= Beth F´s last blog ..Today’s Read: Meet the Austins by Madeleine L’Engle =-.
So amazing!! That pendant is unbelievable.
.-= Stephanie´s last blog ..Teaser Tuesday: The Woman in White =-.
From your post, I am all the more excited about it coming to Denver next summer! It’ll be easier for me to see it, although I love SF and it’s been too long since I’ve visited that city.
.-= Valerie´s last blog ..Wilkie Collins Introduces The Classics Circuit =-.
that looks like a great exhibit!! i’m jealous to have missed it. it’s always amazing to me how the world holds so much history and how america is so young…
glad you had a great trip–i love san francisco and can’t wait to get back there soon!
.-= nat @book, line, and sinker´s last blog ..I’ve MOVED! =-.
I really like the traveling Tut exhibit, but I agree with you. The amount that his poor body has been through… and that so many people’s have, really. National Geographic even had a full article on mummified animals this month, and talked about how all those bodies were treated as well. Sad
.-= Aarti´s last blog ..Odds and Ends on Swaps, Calendars and Challenges =-.
You must have had an amazing day together. Thanks for sharing all of these pictures!
.-= Jo-Jo´s last blog ..Wondrous Words Wednesday-Nov. 4 =-.
Thumbs up for a nice post! I haven’t seen this exhibit, but saw Tutankhamun’s treasures in Cairo many times.
The Ancient Egyptians were not obsessed with death, but since the afterlife was eternal (as opposed to the life on earth which did not last for more than 20-40 years in average) buildings for the afterlife such as tombs and memorial temples were built using stone. This is opposed to the dwellings of the living – kings as well as peasants – which were mainly made of sunbaked mudbrick. Stone lasts for a long time (temples were called “Million Year Houses) whereas mudbrick vanishes within a few years. So that is why we have so painfully little evidence for the living, but a lot of evidence for the death. Plus, what has been lying buried beneath the hot and dry sand of Egypt is way better preserved than what has stood on earth (although many ruins in Egypt are amazingly well preserved). And therefore we have so many artefacts from tombs, because they are, well, buried….
I don’t think it is sad that they mummified bodies (of people or animals). It wasn’t done when they were alive.
.-= Louise´s last blog ..NaBloPoMo # 4: Readings for Women Unbound =-.
I saw the King Tut exhibit ages ago when it came to LA and it was great but very, very crowded.
.-= Ti´s last blog ..Review: A Sportscaster’s Guide to Watching Football =-.
Wow those are some amazing photos from the exhibit! Thanks for sharing!
.-= diane´s last blog ..172 – Still Life; Louise Penny =-.
It sounds like a great visit.
Tut is coming to Toronto next to take up temporary residence at the gallery near the office. I had heard it but knew what was happening as soon as the statue in your first picture arrived on the corner. *smile*
It looks like quite a different collection than the one we saw in Chicago a few years back. I wasn’t sure if I would go but now I may have to.
.-= Jerry´s last blog ..Favourite Sesame Street Songs? =-.
I would love to see that. There is a new Playmobil toy for kids based on Egypt that the Pirate is begging for. I really love that they have cool stuff, and not just firefighters and Star Wars.
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..More Random Friday than usual =-.
I went and saw this in LA a few years ago. It was pretty cool. Whatever you do, don’t get it in your head that James Patterson’s new “The Murder of King Tut” would be a good companion to having seen this exhibit. He says it is nonfiction, but that’s a lie.
.-= Jen – Devourer of Books´s last blog ..Now & Then – Book Review and Giveaway =-.