The Quest for Life After Death

By Esther Iverem
SeeingBlack.com Editor

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"The Quest For Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt," which is on view at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and will travel to other U.S. cities, is a sumptuous treat for the eye and spirit. With 115 exceptional and many rare objects-including intricately painted coffins, a gold funerary mask and a life-sized reconstruction of a pharoah's burial chamber—it is the largest selection of antiquities ever loaned by Egypt for exhibition in North America, and an in-your-face introduction into religious practices in ancient Africa.

More so than other exhibits about ancient Egypt that I've seen, "The Quest for Immortality" treats its art and other objects in a manner that emphasizes the significance of their historical and cultural context. Even though the objects are fine and there is much gold and jewelry on display, "Quest" is less a gee-golly-whiz-look-at-dat show, and more of a sincere exploration of ancient belief systems. In contrast, even the title of the National Gallery's blockbuster 1976 show, "Treasures of Tutankhamun," seemed designed to lure crowds with gold and jewels—a little ancient Egypt bling-bling.

By focusing on the Egyptian belief in the afterlife—and the elaborate preparations made inside tombs for it—"Quest" allows us to establish a less material relationship to the gold, carvings, statues, images of gods and furniture buried in royal tombs. It emphasizes how these items were created and placed to assist in the journey in the afterlife. Most of these pieces on exhibit were removed from the royal tombs at Tanis, found intact in 1939, and focuses on the period of the New Kingdom (1550-1069 BCE) through the late period (664-332 BCE).

With this emphasis on religious practices, "Quest" is not burdened by a totally Eurocentric view of the Egypt's history and culture. It is not unusual for Black folks to be leery of mainstream exhibits and films about ancient Egypt, accustomed as we are to being presented images of queens who look like Elizabeth Taylor and Anne Baxter. (What big media images of ancient Black Egyptians have we seen other than those in Michael Jackson's music video, "Remember the Time?") This new show does not address any such issues specifically, or satisfy any desire for an exhibit focusing on objects from Blacks in ancient Egypt. But by presenting a variety of stunning pieces, it allows all of us to gaze, learn and take away from it what we will. We do go through these exhibits with a different eye and there is nothing wrong with trusting that eye to raise questions.

I was particularly drawn to the figures of Sennefer, the mayor of Thebes, and his wife Sentnay. The statues come from the Eighteenth Dynasty reigns of Ahmenhotep II and Thutmose IV, 1427-1390 BCE. Carved in a black granodiorite, with facial features that are not aqualine and hair that some scholars will call wigs (and others call braids and locks), the couple looks positively Black with a capital B. I was similarly drawn to many other pieces, including a tomb statue of Nakhtmin's wife, also from the Eighteenth Dynasty period, as well as the intricately painted and gilded coffin for Isis-em-akhbit, a princess.

There is an eyeful here to see and think about that creates links between Egyptian people and beliefs, and people and beliefs in other parts of Africa. It's up to us to see and claim these ancient relics of the African past, and not leave them totally for the eyes and minds of others.

Esther Iverem's film and visual arts reviews also appear on BET.com.

"The Quest For Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt," is on view at the National Gallery of Art Until Oct. 14 and will also be shown at the Museum of Science, Boston, Nov. 20, 2002 - March 30, 2003; the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, May 4 - September 14, 2003; the New Orleans Museum of Art, October 19, 2003 - February 25, 2004; the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, September 12, 2004 - January 23, 2005; and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, September 2 - December 12, 2007.

Related Web Sites:

• The Quest For Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt

-- September 26, 2002

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