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SINGAPORE: Egyptian mummies have starred in movies, books and documentaries. And now they are the headline attraction at a new exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore.
Three mummies, dating back 2,760 years, are on display at the Quest for Immortality - The World of Ancient Egypt. The mummies have finally arrived in Singapore after two years of preparation.
They embody the ancient Egyptians' quest for immortality - the preservation of the dead body so the soul can travel on to the gods and the afterlife.
The exhibition organisers paid their respects when the mummies arrived at the National Museum of Singapore, conducting prayers the weekend before the show opened on December 22.
Hairani Hassan, curator, National Museum of Singapore, said: "It's a body. So naturally people are a bit apprehensive, so before we actually opened the crate that had the mummified body, I had to ask some of the art-handlers who were a little bit uncomfortable with handling the body, so that we don't have last minute emergencies where no one wants to carry it."
We had to take a poll and to check and make sure that the people who were on duty that day were quite comfortable with the dead bodies.
Singapore is the latest stop on the mummies' world tour, which has included Seoul and Sydney.
Due to the controversy surrounding the national ownership of the mummies, this is just the first time they have travelled out of the museum which is located in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
Sabine Haag, director-general, Kunsthistorisches Museum, said: "We decided that this is now the time to integrate mummies into the exhibition because they play such an important role in the understanding of the Egypt civilisation.
"With the Egyptian culture, they really tell the story ... of how the dead body is prepared in order to keep its physical shape and then all of a sudden how the soul is received by the gods. This is a very visible mindset of the Egyptian culture."
"Mummies are very sensitive towards shock, towards humidity shock as well, and so much effort was put into the creation of the crates that they would be able to preserve the mummies in the best state of conservation."
Objects of ancient Egyptian daily life are also on display, depicting the social and cultural milieu of the time.
They range from statues to vessels, pieces of ancient text to personal effects, all buried in pyramids to ensure a smooth progression from life on earth to a comfortable afterlife.
Spanning over 1,200 square metres, "Quest for Immortality - The World of Ancient Egypt" is the National Museum's largest exhibition to date.
The exhibition will be in Singapore till April 2010. - CNA/vm
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