The exhibition is "not only the first collaboration of a Chinese State-run museum with the Egyptian government but also the largest exhibition ever held outside Egypt and the highest-level exhibition ever held in Asia, displaying Egyptian artifacts, signifying a golden age when the long-standing friendship between China and Egypt enters a phase of leapfrog development", according to Chu Xiaobo, director of Shanghai Museum.
It "showcases a diverse collection that represents many facets of Egyptian civilization", according to Mohamed Ismail Khaled, PhD, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. It includes depictions of prominent Egyptian gods such as Osiris, Isis, Horus and Ptah and features remarkable items from various Egyptian kings across different dynasties, highlighting statues of high-ranking people such as officials and priests, he says.
Different from many other international shows that have taken place at Shanghai Museum, this exhibition was conceived, independently planned and curated by Chinese scholars and tailor-made for the museum, reflecting the unique Chinese perspective in the studies of Egyptology, Chu said at the media preview of the exhibition on July 16.
Staff members of Shanghai Museum flew to Egypt and worked alongside Egyptian colleagues for the selection, inventory and packaging of the artifacts, which were taken first to Cairo from different institutions around the country. The studies of ancient Egyptian civilizations were founded first by Western scholars. Chinese scholars started late compared to them in this field, but the unique interpretations by Chinese scholars will inject more diverse perspectives into the understanding of ancient Egyptian culture and history, according to Chu.
"This exhibition is a great opportunity for Egyptology in China. You can see the authentic artifacts without traveling to Egypt," Chu says. "It will also inspire more interest in Egyptian civilization in China, because public interest is the great foundation for the academic studies."
