How ancient Egyptians depicted their gods shown in more than 200 objects at the Met
An exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art explores how the gods were portrayed by Egyptians both royal and common
The powerful gods of ancient Egypt are having a get-together at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
It has been more than a decade since the museum’s last big Egypt show, so “Divine Egypt” – a lavish exploration of how ancient Egyptians depicted their gods – is a major event, as evidenced by the crowds that have been packing the exhibition since its October 12 opening.
“It’s the first ancient culture that you learn in school,” says Diana Craig Patch, the Met’s curator of Egyptian art.
“Pyramids, mummies, the great tomb of Tutankhamen … they’re in our popular culture, books, films and now video games.”
But Patch hopes visitors will learn something deeper from “Divine Egypt”, which explores how the gods were portrayed by Egyptians both royal and common – and not only in temples where only kings or priests could go, but in daily worship by ordinary people.