The newest exhibit at Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum offers a window into an ancient world. Life and the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Art from the Senusret Collection is composed of three distinct spaces that represent Life, Sacred Life, and the Afterlife. The exhibition features relics that encompass nearly all aspects of the daily life of ancient Egyptians, ranging from personal care items to religious sculptures and sacred objects. “It offers you a window into the humanity of how the Ancient Egyptians lived,” said Melinda Hartwig, curator of ancient Egyptian, Nubian and Near Eastern art.
Named after King Senusret II’s pyramid village, Hetep-Senusret in the Faiyum, this collection was gifted to the Carlos Museum in 2018 by the Georges Ricard Foundation with the understanding that it would be used for education and conservation. In fact, some parts of the exhibit such as a fragment suspected to be from the sarcophagus of Nefertiti, the goddess of beauty, will be returned to Egypt to become a part of the Grand Egyptian Museum which is set to open sometime this year just outside of Cairo.
Visitors can peruse display cases filled with bronzes, vases, coins, and sculptures. “One of the things that I feel really strongly about is that while this may be from 4,000 years ago, there is a humanity in these objects. These tweezers, for example, are like today’s tweezers, but they are from about 1530 BCE,” said Hartwig. The displays feature collections used for writing, sculpture, jewelry of course, and surgical tools. She pointed out an item that was used as an ear pick and the crowd gave an audible shudder. “I know. It scares me, too,” she said with a laugh.
During the media preview of the Senusret exhibition Hartwig was joined by Joseph Gargasz, Director of Exhibition Design. He offered insight into some of the design choices that were made throughout this exhibit as well as the institution’s commitment to increasing accessibility for visitors. He pointed out some special details, such as the choice of wall colors that are accurate to those that were popular in ancient Egypt, prints of portions of artifacts that are enlarged such as the two large eyes peering out from on either side of the hallway, and a skylight cutout of stars that shines from overhead as viewers walk down a ramp to the afterlife exhibit. The star aspect is an interpretation of the murals that would have been painted on the ceilings of temples of the time, adding to the immersive experience of the overall exhibit.
Exhibition design choices were made not only for the sake of artistic and historic integrity, but also to ensure that the Michael C. Carlos galleries can be experienced by all viewers regardless of physical limitations. “We are continuing to ramp up our ADA accessibility,” explained Gargasz. “We have increased the font size on our labels, the space in the front part of the gallery is better lit, and the spacing between objects is much more significant than you might have seen in some of our previous exhibitions.” There is also seating in each exhibit, the deck heights for display cases have been set to 36 inches to be better suited for wheelchairs, and interactive iPads are strategically positioned next to certain pieces to add context and educate viewers about the way these items were used.
In the deepest gallery of the Senusret exhibit is a coffin assemblage with mummified ancient Egyptian remains of Taosiris, a priestess who was devoted to Osiris, Egyptian Lord of the Underworld and Judge of the Dead. Hartwig described the journey that this ‘transformed human being’ has taken before landing in the Michael C. Carlos museum. “She didn’t waste away, we don’t know why she died,” said Hartwig of the priestess. The mummified remains and sarcophagus were given to magician Marius Cazeneuve in 1868 before being passed along through noble families. The coffin assemblage eventually made its way to Georges Ricard who brought it into his collection. Once at Emory, the remains were cat scanned and a mummy analyst and conservator was brought in to restore them to their original state. The coffin assemblage features intricate illustrations depicting the remains being carried on the back of a sacred bull and a serpent plus a number of soldiers lined up and ready to defend the coffin from being disturbed.
While in recent years there has been an increase in public discourse surrounding human remains being displayed in this way, Hartwig explained that among scholars there is an understanding of the transformative qualities of mummification. Hartwig noted that these mummified remains would have been displayed in a temple so their inclusion in an institution’s museum – provided that it is done respectfully – is considered to be acceptable in this context.
“Mummies are transformed human beings,” said Hartwig. “They have been embalmed and ritually covered in oils in order to create a transformed body so they can live eternally as a God.” At the Michael C. Carlos Museum, the remains of Taosiris serve to educate and enlighten students, faculty, and the public about the rituals and deeply held beliefs of Ancient Egyptians who viewed the afterlife as being ever-present and weaved throughout daily life.
Life and the Afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Art from the Senusret Collection has been made possible through the support of the Forward Arts Foundation, the Morgens West Foundation, Linda and Ira Rampil, James B. Miller, Jr., Sandra Still, and Emily Katt. The Michael C. Carlos Museum is open to the public from Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. This exhibition runs through August 6, 2023.
