King Tut exhibit is edifying
This Saturday, the California Science Center will unveil “King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh. The exhibit celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of King Tut’s tomb and is scheduled for a 10-city, seven-year international run. After its stint in Los Angeles, the exhibit will move on to tour Europe before being housed permanently at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, Egypt.
Even though the famous golden mask that emblemizes King Tut is deemed too delicate to travel, other accoutrements from his coffin were on display. Kitty Guo | Daily Trojan
This is not the first time that an exhibition devoted to the Egyptian king has been curated. There have already been two major Tut displays within the past two decades: “Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs,” which spanned nine cities from 2004 to 2011, and “Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs,” which spanned eight cities from 2008 to 2013.
However, the sheer size of “King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh,” as well as its element of novelty, sets this exhibit apart. More than 150 artifacts are on display, three times what has ever toured before. Furthermore, 66 of them have never before traveled out of Egypt.
The vast collection spans two floors at the Science Center and boasts nine different galleries. The priceless relics are accompanied by a multitude of technological enhancements, including 3-D visuals, digital content, 360-degree theatrical manifestations and custom audio soundscapes, to create a fully immersive experience.
Highlights include the Guardian statue, a striking, life-sized statue that acted as a sentry standing before the entrance to the tomb; Tut’s one-of-a-kind golden shrine, its gilded gesso surface carved with intricate designs; and exquisitely crafted jewelry and bands that were found wrapped in between the linens of the mummy.
The exhibit also pays tribute to Howard Carter, the archaeologist who discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb, with a detailed timeline of his life and career before, during and after his once-in-a-lifetime find. The Boy King instantaneously became entrenched in popular culture: “Tutmania” swept the world and, if this latest exhibit is any indication, that widespread fascination shows no signs of abating. The ancient Egyptians believed that an individual truly dies when the last person to speak their name dies. If that is the case, then King Tutankhamun has achieved immortality.
“King Tut: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh” will be on view at the California Science Center through Jan. 6, 2019. Ticket prices range from $19.50 to $29.95.
CORRECTION: A previous version incorrectly stated the ticket prices and exhibit times. The Daily Trojan regrets these errors.