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tenayaThis is where Tenaya gushes over cool old stuff and offers advice to folks planning a visit to the boy king:
We had bought our tickets in advance as we are supporters of LACMA. Our admission time was 11am, but due to this, that and the other, we didn't arrive until 11:30am. Not to worry, though, because you can enter at any time after what your ticket is printed for. In fact, even though the ticket advises you to arrive 30min early, there appears to be no good reason to do that as you will be put in a line to await entrance. As it was, as we went to the big, tent structure that is there to protect the attendees from the sun and they were only then admitting the 11am tickets holders. Arrive late = wait less time to get into the museum.
The exhibit itself is in the old May Company building on the corner. As a result, the exhibit is spread out over quite an area. There are many rooms with multiple artifacts in each room. Unfortunately, there is a press of people around each glass case so there are mini lines for each item. Luckily, the crowding vs. square footage is such that they avoid each room being like a sardine can. And, being fan shaped, I found the ambient temperature to be too warm and I was uncomfortably hot for the 3 hours I was in there. If you feel the heat easily, bring a hand fan with you and be sure to be well hydrated before you get in line.
They offer headsets for an additional price. I enjoyed listening to Omar Sharrif (who wouldn't!) and found that the audio info did indeed cover what was printed on the info cards. Only about 1/6th of the artifacts have audio an segment, so you still have to do the mini-lines for a close enough moment to read the small script on most of the exhibits. And I did listen to the segments while I was waiting to get closer to the displays.
The earlier rooms are well lit and lay down the foundation of Tut's ancestors/family and the political/social/economic/religious situation in which he lived. There are stone statues and busts of his ancestors, and items that show the scope of what one would fine in the tombs and why they were there. There are a couple of rooms devoted to the geography of where these sites are (Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Giza, etc...) and of who Carter and Carnarvon were, and of the discovery of the tomb itself.
Then, there is passageway serves as a dramatic pause that lets you know you will now be seeing what was found in tombs. These rooms are dark with dramatic lighting spotlighting each artifact. Many of the items are carved from wood, gilded &/or enhanced with inlays of glass/semiprecious stones. They are wonderful things, beautiful, graceful, serene, and they seemed to float in the darkness, which, in my opinion, does add to the ethereal/timeless truth of the pieces. There is one room filled with items belonging to people close to Tut, including two golden death masks of infants, probably his stillborn children. A large, gilded wooded coffin for Tjuya was amazing, covered with perfect images of Horus, Thoth, Anubis, Isis and Nephthys in raised relief.
In another room, there are more personal items that Tut himself would need. A fantastic shield depicting Tut as a sphinx trodding over his Nubian enemies, a golden shrine covered with imagines of him and his wife together in everyday scenes, jewelry, a walking stick, a little stool, an alabaster cup, that cool signature piece that is a golden coffinette for Tut's lungs.
The next room had golden items that were taken from the mummy itself; a dagger, his diadem, a pectoral in the shape of a falcon and a broad necklace/collar. There were around the room's perimeter, while a image of the mummy was in the center. On the floor were outlines of the layers of protective coverings (he had his death mask, three golden nesting coffins, a stone box, then four nesting golden shrines.) For those that need it, there is a blessedly cold draft near the diadem.
The next room concerns itself with the CT scan of the mummy and the probably cause of death. The last room has 6 or 8 pictures different representations of Tut's face. Apparently, this was where the latex bust that the forensic anthropologist had created from a recreation of Tut's skull was supposed to be, but at the last minute Hawass banished the piece as it was conjecture, not art. I don't mind that this item is missing, but since the whole display builds to this point, it's an anticlimax to be faced with a few photographs at this point. It's a definite "eh?" moment, but, it's quickly forgotten as one heads to the gift shop to browse amongst the ridiculous to the sublime. A good selection of booty and fair prices. Beware, there are lots of books.
Aside from the heat, there was only one other negative experience at the museum. Unfortunately, towards the end of the exhibit, we were overtaken with 160 6th graders. Yes, it was as unpleasant as you might well imagine. From what I've read, LACMA is offering a exhibition-related program of study to local schools since the sixth grade curriculum includes ancient cultures. So, beware the swarms of rude children. Actually, it got so bad that one of the museum security people marched through a few of the rooms, her voice raised as she ordered the teachers to collect their students and get them under control.
We did buy another set of tickets for October as we wanted to read/study the catalogue and go back to really look at the pieces again. On second thought, we probably should have picked a time was school was out.
We were watching a local news feature on the exhibit and freeze framed on Carter's tombstone to read this inscription:
May your spirit live, may you spend millions of years you who love Thebes, sitting with your face to the north wind, your eyes beholding happiness. -- Inscription to Tutankamun on the "Wishing Cup."
If you want to see some images, go here:
http://www.kingtut.org/gallery.htm
http://www.kingtut.org/gallery2.htm
My favorite pieces would be:
Head of Akhenaten.
Brown quartzite face of Nefertiti
The panel that shows Akhenaten and family under the Aten.
The golden shrine of Tutankhamun and Ankhsenamun.
The Golden coffinette (with the vaguely wonky eye that reminds me of the original SG:SG-1 opening credits.)
The Cartouche shaped box.
The shield.
The dagger.
The chair of Princess Sitamun.
The coffin of Tjuya.
A calcite canopic jar of Queen Kiya.
A wooden spoon in the shape of a swimming female.
The gilded funerary masks for the fetuses.
We had bought our tickets in advance as we are supporters of LACMA. Our admission time was 11am, but due to this, that and the other, we didn't arrive until 11:30am. Not to worry, though, because you can enter at any time after what your ticket is printed for. In fact, even though the ticket advises you to arrive 30min early, there appears to be no good reason to do that as you will be put in a line to await entrance. As it was, as we went to the big, tent structure that is there to protect the attendees from the sun and they were only then admitting the 11am tickets holders. Arrive late = wait less time to get into the museum.
The exhibit itself is in the old May Company building on the corner. As a result, the exhibit is spread out over quite an area. There are many rooms with multiple artifacts in each room. Unfortunately, there is a press of people around each glass case so there are mini lines for each item. Luckily, the crowding vs. square footage is such that they avoid each room being like a sardine can. And, being fan shaped, I found the ambient temperature to be too warm and I was uncomfortably hot for the 3 hours I was in there. If you feel the heat easily, bring a hand fan with you and be sure to be well hydrated before you get in line.
They offer headsets for an additional price. I enjoyed listening to Omar Sharrif (who wouldn't!) and found that the audio info did indeed cover what was printed on the info cards. Only about 1/6th of the artifacts have audio an segment, so you still have to do the mini-lines for a close enough moment to read the small script on most of the exhibits. And I did listen to the segments while I was waiting to get closer to the displays.
The earlier rooms are well lit and lay down the foundation of Tut's ancestors/family and the political/social/economic/religious situation in which he lived. There are stone statues and busts of his ancestors, and items that show the scope of what one would fine in the tombs and why they were there. There are a couple of rooms devoted to the geography of where these sites are (Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Giza, etc...) and of who Carter and Carnarvon were, and of the discovery of the tomb itself.
Then, there is passageway serves as a dramatic pause that lets you know you will now be seeing what was found in tombs. These rooms are dark with dramatic lighting spotlighting each artifact. Many of the items are carved from wood, gilded &/or enhanced with inlays of glass/semiprecious stones. They are wonderful things, beautiful, graceful, serene, and they seemed to float in the darkness, which, in my opinion, does add to the ethereal/timeless truth of the pieces. There is one room filled with items belonging to people close to Tut, including two golden death masks of infants, probably his stillborn children. A large, gilded wooded coffin for Tjuya was amazing, covered with perfect images of Horus, Thoth, Anubis, Isis and Nephthys in raised relief.
In another room, there are more personal items that Tut himself would need. A fantastic shield depicting Tut as a sphinx trodding over his Nubian enemies, a golden shrine covered with imagines of him and his wife together in everyday scenes, jewelry, a walking stick, a little stool, an alabaster cup, that cool signature piece that is a golden coffinette for Tut's lungs.
The next room had golden items that were taken from the mummy itself; a dagger, his diadem, a pectoral in the shape of a falcon and a broad necklace/collar. There were around the room's perimeter, while a image of the mummy was in the center. On the floor were outlines of the layers of protective coverings (he had his death mask, three golden nesting coffins, a stone box, then four nesting golden shrines.) For those that need it, there is a blessedly cold draft near the diadem.
The next room concerns itself with the CT scan of the mummy and the probably cause of death. The last room has 6 or 8 pictures different representations of Tut's face. Apparently, this was where the latex bust that the forensic anthropologist had created from a recreation of Tut's skull was supposed to be, but at the last minute Hawass banished the piece as it was conjecture, not art. I don't mind that this item is missing, but since the whole display builds to this point, it's an anticlimax to be faced with a few photographs at this point. It's a definite "eh?" moment, but, it's quickly forgotten as one heads to the gift shop to browse amongst the ridiculous to the sublime. A good selection of booty and fair prices. Beware, there are lots of books.
Aside from the heat, there was only one other negative experience at the museum. Unfortunately, towards the end of the exhibit, we were overtaken with 160 6th graders. Yes, it was as unpleasant as you might well imagine. From what I've read, LACMA is offering a exhibition-related program of study to local schools since the sixth grade curriculum includes ancient cultures. So, beware the swarms of rude children. Actually, it got so bad that one of the museum security people marched through a few of the rooms, her voice raised as she ordered the teachers to collect their students and get them under control.
We did buy another set of tickets for October as we wanted to read/study the catalogue and go back to really look at the pieces again. On second thought, we probably should have picked a time was school was out.
We were watching a local news feature on the exhibit and freeze framed on Carter's tombstone to read this inscription:
May your spirit live, may you spend millions of years you who love Thebes, sitting with your face to the north wind, your eyes beholding happiness. -- Inscription to Tutankamun on the "Wishing Cup."
If you want to see some images, go here:
http://www.kingtut.org/gallery.htm
http://www.kingtut.org/gallery2.htm
My favorite pieces would be:
Head of Akhenaten.
Brown quartzite face of Nefertiti
The panel that shows Akhenaten and family under the Aten.
The golden shrine of Tutankhamun and Ankhsenamun.
The Golden coffinette (with the vaguely wonky eye that reminds me of the original SG:SG-1 opening credits.)
The Cartouche shaped box.
The shield.
The dagger.
The chair of Princess Sitamun.
The coffin of Tjuya.
A calcite canopic jar of Queen Kiya.
A wooden spoon in the shape of a swimming female.
The gilded funerary masks for the fetuses.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-27 05:45 am (UTC)You've inspired me to write an entry in my LJ for the Pompeii exhibit I'm planning to go to. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-27 07:10 pm (UTC)You know, King Tut will being going up to Chicago. Isn't that near you (more or less, give or take 500 miles?) You should try and go if you can.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-28 04:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-27 06:51 am (UTC)I spent a while just staring at Thuya's mask ;-)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-27 07:18 pm (UTC)I think most of the things we liked had a real sense of them being connected to the people that used them, or depicted the people themselves. It was delightful. What day did you go? I went on Thursday.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-28 07:00 pm (UTC)I loved the carvings of women's wigs, like the spoon handle and the shabti. That sort of detail was mind boggling. And I loved that Thuyu's things all looked as if she were a real 'person', i.e. her things were more personalized than some of the others. And Sitamum's chair with the original rush/cane seat! I also loved Tut's stool that was inlaid to look like a cowhide, complete with 'tail', and the duckbill feet.
Heh, some of the adults were rude too. There was a woman pushing her mother in a wheelchair, and she got testy trying to get people to move on faster, because "we're trying to look at the exhibits too!"
I am *not* a patient person, but I knew I would have to be patient in the exhibit, and I was. Everyone was bumping everyone, but pretty much, we were all good-natured about it. But there are always those "special" few....
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-29 08:00 am (UTC)For the most part, the adults were patient, but a couple of times people coughed right in my face. Friday night I thought I might be coming down with something and I wondered if I was going to lose my voice, but I bounced back, luckily.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-29 05:36 pm (UTC)I'm glad you didn't get sick!
King Tut
Date: 2005-06-27 11:58 am (UTC)Thanks again!
Re: King Tut
Date: 2005-06-27 07:14 pm (UTC)I hope you have a wonderful time!
Re: King Tut
Date: 2005-06-28 04:25 am (UTC)/geek
Re: King Tut
Date: 2005-06-28 07:05 pm (UTC)Re: King Tut
Date: 2005-06-29 08:04 am (UTC)Re: King Tut
Date: 2005-06-28 07:04 pm (UTC)Re: King Tut
Date: 2005-06-29 08:05 am (UTC)Re: King Tut
Date: 2005-06-28 07:08 pm (UTC)Re: King Tut
Date: 2005-06-29 08:06 am (UTC)I'm going to buy a cheap hand-held fan and keep it in my purse!
Re: King Tut
Date: 2005-06-29 05:37 pm (UTC)Re: King Tut
Date: 2005-06-28 07:18 pm (UTC)