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Taphophilia (dot) Com...
A repository of morbid curiosities:
Thanatology and Taphophile Issues, Cemetery,
Funeral Industry and Death Related News.
A Taphophilia Thank You...
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Graveyards of Chicago:
The People, History, Art, and Lore of Cook County Cemeteries
By Matt Hucke And Ursula Bielski. Discover a Chicago That Exists Just Beneath the Surface - About Six Feet Under! Take a tour of Chicago's permanent residents! Please visit the Lake Claremont Press website to purchase your copy of Graveyards of Chicago today!
Green-Wood Cemetery Arcadia Publishing announces the release of Alexandra Mosca's historic account of one of New York's most famous cemeteries. Aracdia Publishing's Images of America series has an extensive catalog of many cemetery publications! Please visit Arcadia Publishing to purchase your copy of Green-Wood Cemetery and to browse other available titles!
Men of Mortuaries Calendar
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Epitaphs: The Magazine for Cemetery Lovers By Cemetery Lovers
For information regarding subscriptions, single issues, submission guidelines, deadlines, classifieds or advertising for future issues, please visit The Cemetery Club.
Guardians of the Soul: Angels and Innocents, Mourners and Saints, Indiana's remarkable cemetery sculpture
with photography by John Bower and foreword by Claude Cookman is now
available. Please visit
Studio Indiana for more information.
West Springfield Massachusetts: Stories Carved in Stone by Rusty Clark features information on early New England gravestone carvers with more than two hundred photos and illustrations. Please visit the Dog Pond Press website.
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Eternal Egypt exhibit comes to Victoria, B.C. |
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Written by DeadGirl
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Sunday, 11 July 2004 |
By JEFF LARSEN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER PHOTOGRAPHER
VICTORIA, B.C. -- "Control 8, this is Gary. I'm going into the Mummy Room now."
With that two-way radio exchange between security people at the Royal BC Museum, the "Eternal Egypt" press preview was under way, and it was clear we were entering a far different world.
Security was so intense that it began to take on an almost presidential-visit seriousness. That's because "Eternal Egypt" isn't just any old traveling exhibit that's been around the world a few times.
Officially titled "Eternal Egypt -- Masterworks of Ancient Art From the British Museum," it opens Saturday at the Royal BC Museum near Victoria's Inner Harbour and will run through Oct. 31. It will be the exhibit's only stop in Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
Security was tight because of rigorous standards set by British Museum curators and the American Federation of Arts, whose personnel are overseeing final details of placement for the exhibit's priceless works.
The 144-piece exhibit -- the most expensive, ambitious and prestigious ever attempted by the Royal BC Museum -- is touted as the best of the artifacts from the British Museum collection, which is said to be the world's best outside Cairo. The tour became available this year because of renovation at the British Museum.
As a supplement to the main exhibit, an interactive Mummy's Chamber was created by Royal BC Museum technicians and includes a mummy and sarcophagus on loan from Seattle's Burke Museum. Several animal mummies, small tools used in the mummification process and jars in which internal organs were stored also are displayed in the chamber.
In another supplement, Royal BC Museum artists and crafts people have created a public marketplace, where visitors can experience everyday life in ancient Egypt and learn how to cook a meal or make perfume, as well as explore fashion and personal adornment tips popular with early Egyptians.
More than 120 volunteers have been recruited and are being trained in all facets of the exhibit. They will circulate and answer questions from visitors.
Since the exhibit spans more than 3,000 years, from the time of the great pyramids to the fall of Cleopatra, the pieces will be arranged in chronological order. Visitors will be able to check out an audio guide that will help them identify the individual objects and their significance. Or, they may just wander and use their imagination, without the audio aid.
The press preview ended with the final placement of the exhibit's centerpiece -- the 3,500-year-old mummy mask of Satdjehuty. As cameras rolled, two curators wheeled the stunning gold-leaf-covered mask from stage left. Outfitted with bright blue protective gloves, one of the curators carefully but quickly placed the mask on its display pedestal, while another guided him, then promptly put the protective glass cover over it.
A rare example of Egyptian funerary art, the mask is made of linen stiffened with plaster and is very fragile. The mummy mask is said to be from a high-ranking woman named Satdjehuty at the court of Ahmose from Egypt's early 18th Dynasty.
At the other end of the size spectrum is the 5,000-pound red granite lion called the Lion of Amenhotep III that, 3,500 years ago along with its twin, guarded the ancient temple of Soleb, in present-day Sudan. The bulky sculpture of a lion in the lying position is 43 inches tall and 85 inches long. It was trucked in a few weeks ago.
Other significant artifacts include original scrolls from the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" and exquisite examples of gold jewelry.
During the exhibit's run, the National Geographic Imax Theatre adjacent to the museum will present the 1998 award-winning film, "Mysteries of Egypt," narrated by Omar Sharif. The theater acquired a new print of the movie, which was the highest-grossing film ever for Imax.
At one point during the cinematic flight up the Nile River, it's tough not to imagine yourself in the left seat of the helicopter during filming. Look away if you have motion sickness. The film is magnificent and is a must-see on the big screen before visiting the exhibit.
To illustrate how the ancient Egyptians viewed the universe, Victoria's Centre of the Universe Planetarium (Dominion Astrophysical Observatory) will offer a program called "Heavens of the Pharaohs." The interpretive show will explore and demonstrate how important star placement was to the daily lives of ancient Egyptians.
Daily during the "Eternal Egypt" run, planetarium interpreters will guide visitors through the maze of stars and galaxies in the simulated night sky against the darkened StarLab ceiling. It's like a miniature planetarium inside the 7,000-square-foot display facility adjacent to the larger research facility and observatory. Special evening events will include a multimedia presentation on Egypt and the stars, treasure hunts and other activities for kids.
The Royal BC Museum also has scheduled workshops, summer camps and special weekend events during the exhibit's four-month run. During three five-day summer camps in July and August, kids ages 9-12 will explore ancient artistic and scribe skills as well as beauty secrets, mummification techniques and jewelry design.
Mark your calendar: Aug. 7-8 is Mummy Weekend. Popular Egyptologist and mummy expert Bob Brier will enlighten visitors with not only his knowledge and thoughts about the mummification process, but also about the "murder" of Tutankhamen. That weekend the Imax theater will offer two special shows: "Secrets of Mummification" and "Who Murdered Tutankhamen?"
Family workshops are scheduled on Saturdays in the fall.
Since the "Eternal Egypt" exhibit is opening at the beginning of the peak tourism season in Victoria, it isn't surprising that a number of hotels and restaurants have jumped on the Egypt chariot and have come up with specials and promotions.
The swanky Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort offers a Mummy Package, which includes one night of accommodations, complimentary parking, a welcome gift, one in-room movie, a Mummy Tales story time for kids, continental breakfast and tickets to the exhibit. The package starts at about $179 (U.S.).
The Fairmont Empress Hotel offers a Gardens and Galleries package, which includes one night of luxury accommodations, a gourmet picnic lunch and passes to the exhibit, Imax Theatre, Craigdarroch Castle, Greater Victoria Art Gallery and the Butchart Gardens, starting at about $521 (U.S.).
Also, only during the "Eternal Egypt" exhibit, the Empress dining room serves a three-course Egyptian meal for about $56 (U.S.) -- aptly titled "Fit for a Pharaoh" -- that features an entree of chermoula-rubbed lamb sirloin, roasted peas and couscous wrapped in grape leaves and a yam and carrot tagine. The dessert, similar to a creme brulee, is mighty sweet and practically impossible to pronounce.
The Willow Stream Spa at the Empress and the spa at the Delta Victoria will offer different forms of Egyptian body wraps, complete with various oils and moisture applications that were used in ancient Egypt.
Paul Hadfield at Spinnakers Brewpub on the Inner Harbour has fashioned his own limited-edition wheat beer called King Tut's Tipple in honor of the exhibit.
The Gatsby Mansion Inn and Restaurant will serve a full menu of ancient Egyptian recipes that includes appetizers, breads, finger foods, salads, soups and main courses. It also plans to serve a version of an ancient Egyptian ale.
The Herald Street Cafe will chime in with its own creative spin on such ancient Egyptian dishes as kofta and barny matboukha along with several popular beverages.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getaways/181111_shorttrips08.html |
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Taphophilia?
taphophilia (taf′ō-fil′ē-ă)
ORIGIN:
From the Greek words taphos, meaning "tomb" or "sepulcher" and philia, meaning "attraction or affinity to something, in particular the love or obsession with something"
DEFINITION: 1. An excessive interest in graves and cemeteries. 2. A love or fondness for funerals, graves, and cemeteries. 3. In psychiatry, a morbid attraction to graves and cemeteries
Quote Repository
“Death is not a foe, but an inevitable adventure.” Sir Oliver Lodge
Shirtless and Sculpted
The Men of Mortuaries 2008 Calendar is now available! All sale proceeds benefit KAMMCARES, a breast cancer foundation.
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