"Ancient Egypt Transformed" @ The Met

It's funny how things go in cycles, and art exhibitions seem to follow that pattern as well.  For example, last month I wrote a blog about "The Underwater Treasures of Osiris", a fascinating show that is still on view at the Institute du Monde Arabe in Paris, but not within my usual range of topics.  Back in New York, one of the major presentations of the season is "Ancient Egypt Transformed: The Middle Kingdom" on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  While I have often passed through the Met's wonderful galleries of ancient Egyptian art and artifacts, not to mention the impressive Temple of Dendur, it is not a department that I am very familiar with.

Nevertheless, this is a major international exhibition and it promised to be the perfect destination for a post-Thanksgiving field trip so while the stores were flooded with Black Friday shoppers, I headed across Central Park to the museum.

"Ancient Egypt Transformed" is indeed a major exhibition with over 200 objects ranging from massive stone sculptures like "Statue of the Pharaoh Senwosret III as a Sphinx", dating to the Twelfth Dynasty, circa 1878-1840 B.C....

to this tiny, carved, "Heart Scarab" that belonged to a Noblewoman called Nefruptah during the mid- to late Middle Kingdom, circa 1900-1700 B.C.

Many of these objects come from the Metropolitan's own comprehensive collection like this wooden model of a procession of offering bearers dating the early reign of Amenemhat I (1981-1975 B.C.)...

and this exquisite pectorial of Princess Sithathoryunet featuring two falcons protecting the cartouche of King Senwosret II depicted in gold inlaid with turquoise, lapis lazuli, carnelian and garnet.  The necklace is made of gold, lapis lazuli, carnelian, feldspar, amethyst and turquoise and it dates to the Twelfth Dynasty, circa 1887-1878 B.C...

and this elegant limestone "Statue of the Steward Sehetepibreankh Seated" carved circa 1919-1878 B.C.

In addition there are loans from thirty seven other sources in Europe and North American including this stone sculpture of "Khaneferre Sebekhotep IV, Seated" dating from the Thirteenth Dynasty (circa 1732-1720 B.C) from the collection of The Louvre in Paris...

This beautiful "Fish Pendant" is made of gold over a core of an unknown material and represents an "upside down catfish", a type of fish that swims on its back and therefore seems to be dead.  To the Ancient Egyptians, this type of catfish was associated with powers of resurrection as it seems to come back to life.  This example was found in a child's coffin along with several other fish pendants and was lent by the National Museums of Scotland, in Edinburgh...

This painted limestone stela portrays a funerary scene in which Khety and his wife, Henet, receive food offerings from their son.  It is one of the earliest examples extant of an early Middle Kingdom stela and is on loan from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

This exhibition, filled with fascinating objects, beautifully illustrates the renaissance of Egypt during the Middle Kingdom (mid-Dynasty 11 to Dynasty 13, approximately 2030-1650 B.C.) that followed the country's reunification under Nebhepetre Mentuhotep II.  It was a time of great progress culturally, artistically, politically and religiously, and the artifacts presented here are testament to a brilliant civilization.  "Ancient Egypt Transformed" is on view at The Met until January 24, 2016.