Showing off Antiques - How is it Done.

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Hafiz
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Showing off Antiques - How is it Done.

Post by Hafiz »

Museums, Displays and Context.

An interesting issue about art galleries and museums – do you put an old object against a white modern painted wall, or in a modern glass (dirty in Egypt) case or surround it with modern barriers as in a deal of Egypt.

There are no obvious answers but its an problem worth trying to solve, no standard answers and maybe not even universal rules.

Some examples of attempts.

A reconstruction using ancient style bricks of objects from the Emperor Hadrian (in Egyptian terms a dirty degenerate pervert but unlike Egyptian Generals he won wars and unlike Sisi travelled widely in Egypt). The Vatican – not a fan of Egypt’s current management and definitely not of Hawass did this.

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Not completely successful but no barriers and an attempt to put all the bits together into a single room rather that in 40 boxes or left on the floor somewhere. Unlike the 4 dozen museums of the Supreme Antiques and like every other museum in the world the Vatican has a complete website of its holdings.

Same museum, the epigraphic collection which is not normally a big crowd puller. Again a complete room, tiled floor is a plus, the pillars are probably duplicates but better than steel beams, the collection not the normal drag net of ‘everything we have’, no physical restrictions and the pediments are in a faux Egyptian style. Not bad for something hard to display and better than looking at 50,000 objects in 1 hour which causes edema.

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Maybe hanging around Michelangelo and Bernini teaches you something about taste and display. The idea of complete and integrated rooms of different types of objects rather than assembly lines of near identical objects appeals to me whereas repetition doesn’t.

The Turin Museum is the second greatest Egypt logical Museum in the world and with a long history under Schiaparelli of charity, good works and building facilities for the poor in Upper Egypt – generally stolen by Nasser after 1952 as the property of evil westerners. A deal of their work is research in publications, museum tours and available on their website. I am not aware of any research conducted in the 40 Egyptian museums by their thousands of ‘world class’ Egyptologists. Turin loans a lot of its objects – Egypt loans none. Turin has a very active program of inclusion and particularly access for local native Arabic speakers particularly those in poor circumstances. https://www.museoegizio.it/en/discover/ ... -projects/

Like every museum in the world Turin has specialist temporary exhibitions whereas in Egypt its set and stay sometimes for 50 years which makes you wonder what the museum staff do for work. With a collection a fraction of Egypt they publish regular generalist and specialist magazines/journals.

Their big objects opt for direct access and dramatic light and shade.

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With smaller objects they opt for glass cases – very minimalist – and hugely complicated overhead spot lighting.

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Breaking the Hawass rule – I’m the only important thing on display – Turin like all other large holders of Egypt objects in the world does the before and after and shows the links to pre-history and Rome, Greece, the fertile crescent etc.

As you would expect the British Museum has a simple, intelligent structure to its display, a world standard research program and publications but absolutely no contact with the Supreme Antiques after lifetimes when they gave much followed by recent strident screeching on the Egyptian side. The Museum employs many young ‘refugee’ Egyptian specialists who couldn’t take any more.

In British, or English, fashion they like their rulers on high pedestals which avoids the need for barriers or ropes but enhances awe or, at worst, respect. 19th century etchings show that this style is near identical to about 1850 which continues the tradition of changing nothing.

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Smaller objects are in discreet glass cases and assembled in themes with ample information on the adjoining wall. Note the mummy 2nd from the right has an unusual painted Greek style black beard. Unusual I think.

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Like all museums in the world the British place high importance on kids. Here is a visit by 8 year olds – most from non-anglo backgrounds. Egypt has no such programs or interests because they detract from the majesty of the museums and the curators.

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Under the management of Saddik the Tahrir Museum set up a kids section. I think that’s been trashed in an orgy of anger, not hers, because she had a backbone and fell out with you know who also trashed her public internet magazine on what was happening in that museum on the basis that the only news is me. It would seem that even the general kids visitation program and programs for the disabled were also trashed by the trash. Its what they do best.

The Louvre has a fine collection – Napoleon was a great pillager – and like their British friends put the great up high although in this case with fences around them – 240 volts direct current. Few objects, well displayed, properly lit, clean, themed, balanced and proportional – very French.

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Interestingly for their Roman Egypt objects (I’ve seen few/none displayed in Egypt) the Louvre has a low ceiling room with a beautiful neo-Gothic style ribbed roof – It looks elegant, comfortable for prolonged viewing, quiet and suitable for smaller objects. An interesting idea and alternative to the 90 foot ceilings for everything down to coins in the new GEM.

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As has been fashionable, and done, for 50 years in the best museums there is a focus on daily Egyptian life in the Louvre – in this case Egypt. This is a poor photo of it. Again themes to make sense for visitors of the mass of objects. Requires an ability to organize and a strong focus not on the curator or perfect academic principles but on the obvious – what will interest and arouse the curiosity of the visitor.

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They even show an ancient wooden plough which some might think boring but is rather beautiful in its simple way.

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The Metropolitan of course has a superb collection, limitless amounts of money and, what shall we call it, boldness.

The temple of Dendur (Roman), quite elegant, in its own room and not cluttered with ‘accessories’. The minimum of railings, the use of small glass partitions and no French electricity. A beautiful aspect into trees.

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A fuller view of this room shows great elegance and the genius of using long benches, in this case the pool edging, in strategic spots to let people sit and look for 10 minutes. A brilliant simple, cheap idea and an alternative to a snake of visitors giving every object 20 seconds.

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Unlike others they put medium sized objects in low ceiling rooms with internal spot lights. The glass cases are minimalist. It has benefits of scale/intimacy but I’m not sure it works for me. The French solution looks and maybe is better.

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Very American they put their gods at a human level and the 19th century stone facings on the walls/doors rather blend in.

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One possible theme of the Non-Egypt Egypt museums is less is more and most have about 90% of their object holdings in reserve. Another is theming and explaining rather that just ‘displaying’ like a window dresser on 5th Avenue although a window display person has style and attracts attention maybe I just mean that at its worst some museums are just grade 5 ‘show and tell’.

I sometimes think that the best museums aren’t the buildings – many with the best buildings are the worst – or the objects – having lots of objects aren’t the best and lots of objects are often overwhelming, confusing and too much – but the best staff who know how to display with both style and a story. It isn’t easy but maybe Egypt should start to try and cut the steel chain Hawass still controls them with. A good museum draws you in rather than using ‘shock and awe’ – although that might work for some people especially those who are ‘naturally’ uneasy in places that ask you to think.

I thought I’s look at similar issues in the 50 Egyptian museums and started with the Imhotep Museum, Giza because he was the great architect/planner of ancient Egypt. Their Supreme Antiques internet connection to this museum was dead – maybe they forgot to pay the bill. It was opened in 2006 by the Divine Suzanne – otherwise known as vain, stupid, corrupt and self obsessed.

To call its exterior ugly would be insufficient: - maybe it was a material manifestation of Suzanne's spirit.

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Its major objects seem trivial and boring:

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Some objects should go to and stay in storage:

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Some rooms take a desert theme:

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I think that the over40museums the Antiques run stretches their collection. Maybe the question should be - what do we have that is special and where and how best to show it. Unfortunately the thinking (broad definition) seems to be build it then fill it.

Minya is allegedly the third largest museum after GEM and the new Fustat fiasco about Egyptian Civilization. I can’t understand how a regional museum can need to be so large and, to my best knowledge, the quantity of quality displayable items from Amara is small, dull and not all of them could easily be stripped from GEM without creating a gap. Local accommodation is limited and if you are a solo woman – prohibited so watch out. I sharpen my compass and get onto Minya, so to speak, another time.


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Re: Showing off Antiques - How is it Done.

Post by newcastle »

I've always found the Tahrir museum a bit of a disappointment- dusty, illegible descriptions, confusingly 'organised'.

In my view the Luxor museum is much better. More limited of course but most of the items on display are interesting. The basement display of statuary ( mainly from the Luxor temple cache) is done well with low ceiling and good lighting.

It's rarely crowded and , if you fancy a rest after flogging round Karnak, you can recline inthe comfortable theatre and listen to the dulcet tones of Omar Sherif..and, if you're like me, drift off to sleep :lol:
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