[Life] Egyptian Mummies Arrive in Taiwan, National Museum of History Discusses Eternal Life Across Civilizations
bella@@ 央廣 新聞4h agoEdited
The National Museum of History held the opening ceremony for the international exhibition "Egyptian Mummies—Legends of Eternal Life" on the 17th. The exhibition features over a hundred precious artifacts from the National Archaeological Museum of Florence, Italy. Concurrently, the museum's self-curated exhibition "The End is Not Yet—Cultural Reflections on Life and Death" uses dialogues between Eastern and Western beliefs and artifacts to guide the audience in re-examining the meanings of life, death, and eternity. #Reported by Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reporter Jiang Chaolun#
"Egyptian Mummies—Legends of Eternal Life" will be open from June 18th to September 28th. The National Museum of History held a press conference on the 17th, giving media and VIPs an early preview.
The artifacts for this special exhibition come from the National Archaeological Museum of Florence, Italy. The core collection originates from the renowned "Franco-Tuscan Expedition to Egypt" in the 19th century. This expedition, led by Jean-François Champollion, who deciphered Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Ippolito Rosellini, the father of Italian Egyptology, conducted large-scale surveys along the Nile Valley and is considered a crucial foundation for modern European Egyptology.
The items exhibited in Taiwan include genuine mummies, painted coffins, canopic jars, papyri, shabti figures, and various amulets from ancient Egypt.
Maria Cristina Guidotti, curator at the National Archaeological Museum of Florence, stated that ancient Egyptians believed death was not the end of life but a continuation of another form of existence. To ensure the soul's continued presence in the afterlife, the soul and body had to be reunited, thus requiring the body to be preserved in the most perfect way possible.
She pointed out that the process of making mummies has always sparked public imagination, with some finding it mysterious and others terrifying. However, ancient Egyptian funerary customs were intended to allow the deceased to continue living in the afterlife. Maria Cristina Guidotti: "(Original sound + translation) In fact, ancient Egyptian customs ensured the continuation of life in the afterlife. The mummification process, the grave goods, and the funeral rituals were all aimed at allowing the deceased to live well in the afterlife. Visitors can also see many kinds of grave goods."
Maria Cristina Guidotti emphasized that the exhibition aims to present the daily lives of ancient Egyptians, allowing the audience to see that behind the mummies are not just mysterious death cultures, but real people who once lived.
Among the most eye-catching artifacts in the exhibition is the "Painted Coffin of the Priest Padimut," standing 205 centimeters tall. Its surface is densely covered with paintings and hieroglyphs, depicting scenes of offerings to deities and prayers for eternal life.
Another highlight is the genuine infant mummy, exhibited in Taiwan for the first time, and a "fake mummy" that appears to be an infant but holds a surprise inside. Modern X-ray and CT scans revealed that the latter might contain the remains of a falcon. Experts point out that in the late ancient Egyptian period, due to immense ritualistic demands, some mummies were filled with animals or other materials. In the 18th and 19th centuries, with the "Egyptomania" craze in Europe, "fake mummies" were also produced for sale to collectors and tourists, becoming a peculiar phenomenon in archaeological history.
Furthermore, the "Funerary Papyrus of a Woman" is also captivating. This artifact, approximately 3,000 years old, contains passages from the "Book of the Dead." It is considered the ancient Egyptians' "guide to eternal life," using spells and instructions to help the deceased pass the judgment of Osiris, the god of the underworld, and reach the world of eternal life.
The "Funerary Papyrus of a Woman," approximately 3,000 years old, contains passages from the "Book of the Dead" and is considered the ancient Egyptians' "guide to eternal life." (Photo by Jiang Chaolun)
Hong Shiyou, Director of the National Museum of History, stated that the museum's collection already includes abundant archaeological and religious artifacts. This exhibition specifically allows the Egyptian mummy exhibition to engage in a dialogue with related domestic collections, concurrently curating the exhibition "The End is Not Yet—Cultural Reflections on Life and Death." He pointed out that ancient Egypt had Osiris, while Taiwan has Buddhist reincarnation, Taoist Ten Kings of Hell, and indigenous ancestral spirit beliefs. Different cultures interpret death in their own ways, embodying profound cultural connotations worth the audience's careful appreciation, which is believed to bring further insights. (Editor: Xu Jiayuan)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215098
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