Exhibitions: King Tut's Road Trip 2009

Tutankhamun has barely had time to rest since his rediscovery in 1922, and each year sees him on tour around the world. This year is no different, with the boy-king being pulled from city to city worldwide in a number of showcase exhibitions. Heritage Key takes a peek at the King Tut shows going on this year, and weighs up which events will tell us the most about the famous pharaoh – that is, of course, aside from King Tut Virtual!

North America

This year and next sees Tutankhamun and his treasures wheeled around no fewer than three North American cities, with hundreds of the enigmatic king’s funerary artefacts entertaining crowds as far afield as San Francisco, Indianapolis and the somewhat colder climes of Canada’s Toronto. The latter two locales share a collection called 'Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs', while San Francisco showcases a similar stash entitled 'Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs'. Both are sure to bring Tutmania to town, giving their fans a glimpse of the life and times of one of the world’s most enchanting characters.

San Francisco

San Francisco’s King Tut exhibition, running from June 27 2009 to March 28 2010, follows on from a massively popular run at Dallas' Museum of Art, which drew no fewer than 664,000 ticketholders to its doors between October 2008 and June 2009. The show focuses on the critical 18th Dynasty of Egypt, which included not only Tutankhamun but also the powerful female pharaoh Hatshepsut, and of course the heretic king Akhenaten. Tut takes centre stage, though, with 50 of his famous burial items on display, including one of the gold canopic jars which held his internal organs. A gilded chair, board game and precious stone-inlaid pectoral scarab all provide beautiful eye candy, while two coffinettes contain the remains of two mysterious foetuses, whose identities in relation to the king are still very much in doubt. The show will also highlight 80 additional items from the tombs of 18th Dynasty royals, including the gold funerary mask of Queen Tjuya, and a stunningly ornate unguent vessel. All of the items allow San Franciscans a rare insight into the funerary traditions of the influential dynasty, and promise to be as popular as the city’s last Tutankhamun exhibition 30 years ago.

Indianapolis & Toronto

At the same time as San Francisco’s long-running show, Indianapolis and Toronto will share a collection of 50 artefacts from Tutankhamun, as well as over 70 other precious objects spanning over two millennia of Egyptian rule. The striking exhibition, in Indianapolis’ Children’s Museum from June 27 – October 2009 and Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario from November 24 2009 – April 2010, aims to combine some of the ancient kingdom’s most beautiful funerary objects with groundbreaking scientific research about the boy-king. A storyline will focus on the role of kingship in Egypt, and kings’ and queens’ roles in this life and the next. Some of the more arresting artefacts include a ten-foot statue of Tutankhamun, the biggest ever found; his specially-made golden sandals for the afterlife; and another gold canopic jar. Other royal antiquities will highlight the power of Egyptian monarchs, including items made for Hatshepsut, Psusennes I and Khufu, whose pyramid is the only remaining wonder of the ancient world.

Many of the exhibition’s showpieces may sparkle and shine, capturing the eye of the beholder – yet it’s the landmark scientific evidence which will provide the most titillating for local Egyptologists and Tutankhamun experts, and provide a genuinely fresh angle on the mystifying life and death of the young ruler. This research culminates in the first three-dimensional CT scan of King Tut’s mummy. Educational resources will be released to coincide with the event – and Heritage Key’s favourite expert Zahi Hawass will be conducting a seminar entitled ‘Mysteries of King Tut Revealed’ in Indianapolis’ Clowes Memorial Hall on August 7. The talk, from one of the world’s most revered voices on all matters ancient Egypt, promises to be a thrilling addition to the exhibitions.

Europe

Don’t fret if you’re from the other side of the Atlantic and want to get a glimpse of King Tut – the boy-king will be winging around Europe for the next two years as part of a monumental tour spanning four of the continent’s biggest cities, called ‘Tutankhamun: The Tomb and its Treasures’. A cache of over 1,000 replica artefacts, created by over 100 Egyptian artisans using traditional techniques,  relating to Tutankhamun and the 18th Dynasty is currently on show in Munich’s Event Arena (April – August 2009), then in Barcelona (Museu Maritim, June – October 2009); Budapest (October 2009 – April 2010) and Warsaw (May – November 2010). The strength of its collection is mind-boggling, bringing the tomb Howard Carter exploded into the public eye in 1922 to a glittering modern exhibition which aims to recreate Carter’s discovery by showing King Tut’s funerary treasures exactly as they were found 77 years ago. This includes a full-scale replica of one of the pharaoh’s four funerary chambers, and original photographs of the breakthrough which made Carter and Carnarvon overnight celebrities, and brought Egyptology hurtling into the zeitgeist.

King Tut Virtual

The geniuses of ‘Tutankhamun: The Tomb and it Treasures’ may have put together one of the world’s most striking reproductions of the boy-king's mortuary temple, but you don’t even have to leave your home to see the wonders of Tutankhamun come to life. Just take a look at Heritage Key’s very own King Tut Virtual, and you’ll be instantly transported to the Valley of the Kings - where you can get up close and personal with a world of treasures. Just download our VX Viewer and you’ll be unlocking the wonders of King Tut within seconds!

Images by Charlie Phillips and Katime Vacano

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About The Author

Sean Williams (follow me: e-mail or )

Last three pieces by this author:

New York's Met Museum Records Best Attendance since 2001 | Bettany Hughes Publications you Can't go Without | 3,200-year-old Chariot Linchpin 'Proves Ancient Egyptian City in Israel'

Sean is an English Literature graduate, who currently works as a writer and journalist in London. He enjoys ancient history, theatre and sport. He does not enjoy Big Brother.