Wonders that transcend the sands of time

The gilded mummy case is visually impactful. Dating back to the first and second centuries AD, it was designed to contain the entire mummy of its deceased owner, probably a small young woman.

The faces depicted on the stone case cover and facial mask are idealized images designed to ensure everlasting youth and vitality. The expression of calmness and faith on the path to the afterlife is very important, and this work conveys this belief perfectly.

According to Wang Chunchen, deputy director of the Art Museum of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and chief curator of the Meet You Museum, the exhibits on display not only reflect ancient Egyptian civilization's worship of nature and gods, but also showcase the power of imagination and a pursuit of the afterlife.

Because of these ideas, ancient Egyptians, from the pharaohs to the princes and nobles, tried to create a luxurious afterlife for themselves through an accrual of a large number of precious funerary objects, and they sought to achieve immortality through the unique method and ritual of mummification, Wang says.

Some tomb owners even mummified their pet cats and falcons, wishing the animals to live with them in the afterlife. These are also exhibited.