Jewellery at Tutankhamun Ancient Exhibition deYoung Museum San Francisco

Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco  De Young Magazine  2009

TUTANKHAMUN and The Golden Age of the Pharaohs  -  de Young  -  June 27, 2009 – March 28, 2010

http://www.kingtut.org Tour Information

If you are interested in Tutankamun and will be in the San Francisco area, the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, it’s  on until March 28th and well worth the effort.

A very dramatic exhibition with an overview of the lineage of the pharoahs and family connected to Tutankamun, is an interesting historic overview.  The galleries are divided into:  Gallery 1:  Artistic depiction          Gallery 2:  Lineage – Lineage – Genaology     Gallery 5:  Lineage and artistic depiction      Gallery 7:  Poor Health        Gallery 8:  Artistic depiction

It is very different than the previous exhibition I saw in Chicago in the early ’80′s, which was filled with this sense of  stunning energy from the displays…. very different dramatics at deYoung….. the Sarcofogus is not on this exhibit but visuals of the depth of the burial details are presented well.  The Jewellery & Adornments were stunning in of course Gold, Turqoise, Lapiz, Carnelian, and the sculpted tops of sacred jars were carved out of Calcite and painted – they looked like glowing white stone.  The Pectoral piece was especially incredible in detail and elaboratness.

I came away with as renewed feeling of the historic overview of the era of Tutankhamun and his father, mother and grandmother which I had forgotten.  We felt it was a dramatic experience and the displays are breathtaking.  My father-in-law had studied Egyptology when he retired and visited Cairo at that time, seeing the originals, but he was thrilled with our visit to this exhibition.

A beautiful setting in the Park and an remarkable experience to feel close to the Pharoahs and Egypt again.  San Francisco has so many other experiences to enjoy after the museum!

King Tutankhamun

Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco  De Young Magazine  2009

More of this inspiration to come once I land and upload pictures….. from the replicas in the gift store…. no photos are allowed by the exhibition of Tut (but the rest of the deYoung offers photo ops with flash off).

King Tut - Pectoral Jewellery with Solar/Lunar Emblem and Scarab (3rd from right)

http://www.famsf.org

For more information and details from these photos refer to the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco – DE Young Summer 2009

Great magazine with a tremendous amount of informative beautifully presented information, images and current events!

While in the Gift Store at deYoung Museum I was able to take the following photos of jewellery which are replicas of the Egyptian Era from this Exhibition.

Egyptian Necklace - deYoung Museum San Francisco - Gift Store

Egyptian Necklace & Earrings - deYoung Museum San Francisco - Gift Store

Egyptian Eye of Horus Necklace - deYoung Museum San Francisco - Gift Store

Egyptian Necklace - deYoung Museum San Francisco - Gift Store

Egyptian Bracelet – deYoung Museum San Francisco – Gift Store

Egyptian Bracelet – deYoung Museum San Francisco – Gift Store

Egyptian Necklace - deYoung Museum San Francisco - gift Store

Egyptian Necklace & Earrings - deYoung Museum San Francisco - Gift Store

Egyptian Necklace - deYoung Museum San Francisco - Gift Store

Lucy's Scarab Ring - Custom made from scarab mold

This Pinky Ring – my favorite Scarab – was made for me by a jewellery in Winnipeg in the early 80′s from a mold he had from an original scarab ring from Egypt.  I have worn it for years and enjoy the symbolism of the Scarab -Rebirth and the Sun (also for me it is like the lotus flower which arises from the mud into all it’s glory, the scarab beetles are birthed from the dung where their eggs are laid in).

Egypt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewellery#Egypt

The first signs of established jewellery making in Ancient Egypt was around 3,000-5,000 years ago.   The Egyptians preferred the luxury, rarity, and workability of gold over other metals. Predynastic Egypt had Jewellery in Egypt soon began to symbolize power and religious power in the community. Although it was worn by wealthy Egyptians in life, it was also worn by them in death, with jewellery commonly placed among grave goods.

In conjunction with gold jewellery, Egyptians used coloured glass in place of precious gems. Although the Egyptians had access to gemstones, they preferred the colours they could create in glass over the natural colours of stones. For nearly each gemstone, there was a glass formulation used by the Egyptians to mimic it. The colour of the jewellery was very important, as different colours meant different things; the Book of the Dead dictated that the necklace of Isis around a mummy’s neck must be red to satisfy Isis’s need for blood, while green jewellery meant new growth for crops and fertility. Although lapis lazuli and silver had to be imported from beyond the country’s borders, most other materials for jewellery were found in or near Egypt, for example in the Red Sea, where the Egyptians mined Cleopatra‘s favourite gem, the emerald. Egyptian jewellery was predominantly made in large workshops attached to temples or palaces.

Egyptian designs were most common in Phoenician jewellery. Also, ancient Turkish designs found in Persian jewellery suggest that trade between the Middle East and Europe was not uncommon. Women wore elaborate gold and silver pieces that were used in ceremonies.

Some interesting tidbits about the Egyptian Jewellery for some history.  Symbology used for adornments and jewellery are fascinating and inspirational!

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~ by tribalstonesjewellery on March 16, 2010.