One of the largest exhibitions of ancient Egyptian treasures to visit the United States in recent decades will be on view at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 1999. Richmond will be the only East Coast site for the exhibition, which will present a panoramic view of one of the world's greatest civilizations, with art works that explore the mysteries of the ancient world. The exhibition, which will fill nearly 16,000 square feet of gallery space, will be the largest ever mounted here.
"This is a comprehensive view of all of Egyptian civilization," says Katharine C. Lee, director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. "More encompassing in scope than other special shows that have toured in the U.S., such as the Tutankamun or Ramesses shows, this exhibition features works of top aesthetic quality. Other shows have ficused on a small section of Egyptian history; this exhibition addresses the fill span of the great Egyptian civilization."
The exhibition will feature more than 200 objects ranging from nearly 5,000 years ago through the age 9f the pyramids, the times of the major dynasties from Cheops, Tutankamun and Ramesses II to Cleopatra and the Ptolemies, to the 7th century A.D. Visitors will see gilded and painted mummy cases, a mummy, alabaster and life-size limestone representations of pharaohs and noblemen, an 18-foot-long papyrus scroll from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, gold and lapis lazuli jewelry, painted wall carvings, and ceramics. Major finding for the exhibition was provided by First Union. Additional support has also been provided by The Council of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and patrons of the museum.