After four years of preparation, the United Daily News and the Jiu Guan Publishing Company have made the exhibition possible, setting new records for international exhibits shown in Taiwan. This is the first time an exhibit has been shown for so long in Taiwan--one year--and at different locations in the country, breaking with the tradition of limiting displays to Taipei, the capital. It is also the first time the Louvre Museum has extended its usual three-month loan of so many artifacts to be shown. Additionally, the museum is allowing certain artifacts to be displayed outside the Louvre for the first time, including the 3,000-year-old mummified bodies of a girl and four animals.

According to the Taipei Times, the mummies gained national recognition when the National Taiwan University Hospital was given permission to perform x-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests on them. It was discovered that one of the mummified animals was a cat that had never been viewed before. The investigation was a great find for both Taiwanese investigators and French museum officials.

The exhibit was first held in Taipei at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall from November 2003 to the end of March this year. More than 600 Egyptian antiquities were on display, including stone structures, statues, figurines, vases, painted cloth pieces, jewelry, sarcophagi (stone coffins), and mummies. The exhibit is now showing in Taichung from April 23 to July 18 and will end in Kaohsiung in November this year.

Display themes

Upon entering the exhibition, one gets a brief look at the history of French archaeology in Egypt. The busts of three French scholars--Vivant Denon, Jean Francois Champollion, and Auguste Mariette--who made important contributions in the modern explorations of ancient Egypt come to light. In the 1820s, Champollion, who deciphered the mystery of hieroglyphs, opened a section at the Louvre Museum dedicated to ancient Egypt. He purchased many collections from the British and French consuls in Egypt. Later, the museum continued to grow from private collections, excavation divisions, and other acquisitions.

Ancient Egyptian history has its roots in the Nile River, the longest flowing river in the world. It was here that surrounding lands were given life through the river's regular flooding and rich deposits. Early Egyptians settled in and around the Nile Valley, set amidst desert land, fostering the beginnings of a budding civilization. Miniature animals, boat artifacts, and other objects representative of life along the Nile illustrate the display. One of the most celebrated items in the display is a blue hippopotamus figurine.

Egypt was ruled by pharaohs, or kings, in successive dynasties. Three main eras stand out to mark this succession: the Old Kingdom (2700*2160 b.c.), the Middle Kingdom (2106*1786 b.c.), and the New Kingdom (1550*1069 b.c.). Stone statues and structures, such as sphinxes, from the palaces of kings are demonstrated in the display. Artifacts including engravings, hieroglyphic inscriptions, cloth pieces, stoneware, jewelry, and figurines are also shown.

The afterlife was an important aspect of Egyptian culture, which focused on burial rites and preservation after death. The mummification of bodies, inclusion of burial objects, and depiction of pictures and scenes in burial chambers are all an integral part of the afterlife process. Egyptians believed that mummification would allow for passage into the next life. Before the body was mummified, embalming would take place, involving the removal of organs including the brain, lungs, stomach, liver, and intestines. The organs were then placed into separate jars, called canopic jars, for protection by the gods. The body was then preserved through the use of a salt mixture. Afterwards, linen cloth was wrapped around the body into a compact bundle known as the mummy.

Towards the end of the exhibition, various artifacts of the Egyptian afterlife are portrayed. A large replica of the interior of a tomb chamber stands for viewing. Ceremonial objects, burial ornaments, and amulets are presented. Furthermore, canopic jars, five distinctly styled sarcophagus covers, a coffin containing the mummy of a girl, and four mummies of a cat, crocodile, dog, and bird are among the collection shown.

On the sidebars in the following pages, readers have the chance to view some of the artifacts from this Egyptian exhibition.