King Tutankhamun and I

I had been looking forward to the King Tutankhamun exhibition immensely. Ancient Egypt has held a fascination for me since my school days, therefore I was thrilled to have the opportunity to actually see for myself some of the treasures from King Tutankhamun’s tomb.

The rather dull and overcast day couldn’t dampen my enthusiasm as I met my fellow intrepid travellers at Waterloo Pier. The journey via the Thames Clipper lasted about 40 minutes and it was wonderful to see an illuminated London through the windows. Eventually The O2 became visible through the darkness, but before we entered the exhibition we stopped for a drink at Inc. Brasserie. I couldn’t help but wonder at the suitability of the venue for such an historic exhibition. The bright, stark interior of The O2 seemed far too modern to house 3000-year-old antiquities.

As I entered the exhibition, I donned my headphones and allowed Omar Sharif to explain the context of the exhibits. This audio tour was invaluable as it provided the historical background of not only the Royal family but also of daily life in Ancient Egypt. This included a rather compelling yet grisly description of the mummification process. The exhibits were displayed in rather plain rooms and, despite the piped Egyptian music and atmospheric lighting, I felt that something was missing. The exhibition was in two halves: the first was very much concerned with Tutankhamun’s unpopular father Akhenaten, his beautiful wife, Nefertiti, and the scandal surrounding their adoption of a new religion. The second half was dedicated to Tutankhamun and Howard Carter, including rare newsreel footage and photographs of the excavation. However the journey between the two was via stark corridors and brightly lit stairwells. I think the sheer modernity of the venue was too much of a contrast for the antiquities, however the treasures on display were breathtaking. The sheer beauty of the mini-sarcophagus designed to hold the young king’s viscera once they had been removed from his body, with its intricate workmanship and near-perfect condition, was awe-inspiring.

After the exhibition I met up with our group at Tapa Tapa, which proved to be another adventure but of the gastronomic kind. I was overwhelmed by the sheer quality and quantity of dishes that were brought before us and the staff were extremely helpful and friendly. For me, the highlights of the meal were a special oak-aged ham from Bilbao, superb large king prawns in a special ‘San Miguel’ batter and a rather delicious chocolate dessert, which were all washed down with fine wines and lively conversation.

As always, all good things had to come to an end, so at 10pm it was time to board the ferry once more and return to Waterloo Pier. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening with The SaVVy Club and was glad that I had been able to see the boy king’s treasures.        

By Sally Ormond
The SaVVy Club

 

Read Full Post »