A.I.C. Ancient Egypt
The Field Museum is beginning to announce its blockbuster "King Tut" exhibit -- and looking through the fat brochure -- I realized that I'm not going. I mean -- even the things that they choose to display as highlites don't interest me.
The terrible truth is that most Egyptian art doesn't interest me any more than American automobile designs. Most things are well made -- but so what? In a world of a million-choices, well-made doesn't cut it -- in any genre (even Japanese prints)
(plus.... they're going to charge me $25 .... plus ... they're not going to let me take pictures .... plus ... I'm going to be fighting a crowd ... plus ... they don't let you back in the exhibit if you have to leave to use the restroom)
(BTW -- the Field Museum had a great exhibit of Egyptian artifacts from the British museum about 2 years ago -- and I'm telling myself that it had to be much better than Tut)
So.... instead..... I decided this week to look at the (meagre) collection of Egyptology at the A.I.C. ---- and it does make me wish I lived in NYC (where the Met has tons of Egyptian stone on display)
But the A.I.C. does have a two things that are memorable -- and interestingly enough -- my good friend Tor and I agree on what they are:
These small plaques are very recent as Egyptian history goes -- at 300 BC -- they are practically mid-way between the Old Kingdom and the present day --- and I'm not even sure how Egyptian you would want to call the Ptolemaic period.
But whatever you call it -- these pieces came from Egypt -- and they're wonderful.
The terrible truth is that most Egyptian art doesn't interest me any more than American automobile designs. Most things are well made -- but so what? In a world of a million-choices, well-made doesn't cut it -- in any genre (even Japanese prints)
(plus.... they're going to charge me $25 .... plus ... they're not going to let me take pictures .... plus ... I'm going to be fighting a crowd ... plus ... they don't let you back in the exhibit if you have to leave to use the restroom)
(BTW -- the Field Museum had a great exhibit of Egyptian artifacts from the British museum about 2 years ago -- and I'm telling myself that it had to be much better than Tut)
So.... instead..... I decided this week to look at the (meagre) collection of Egyptology at the A.I.C. ---- and it does make me wish I lived in NYC (where the Met has tons of Egyptian stone on display)
But the A.I.C. does have a two things that are memorable -- and interestingly enough -- my good friend Tor and I agree on what they are:
These small plaques are very recent as Egyptian history goes -- at 300 BC -- they are practically mid-way between the Old Kingdom and the present day --- and I'm not even sure how Egyptian you would want to call the Ptolemaic period.
But whatever you call it -- these pieces came from Egypt -- and they're wonderful.
posted by chris miller at 7:29 AM
3 Comments:
this ram-goat is great.
btw, the Met has a nice website.
and it has 2 of the worlds best -- maybe 10 -- Chola bronzes.
some big shows are ripoffs not really worth the money. the bathroom rule seems just too cruel.
Beautiful....
Need to got o Met to see so many things...
Yes, do. Don't forget the Chola bronzes (it will be in South India section). There is a Parvati there that will make you gasp.
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