Over 150 objects from the ROM’s acclaimed Egyptian collection featured in Nanjing exhibition
TORONTO, October 19, 2016 -- The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is proud to loan over 150 ancient Egyptian objects from its renowned collections to the exhibition, Pharaohs and Kings: Treasures of Ancient Egypt and China’s Han Dynasty, now on display at the Nanjing Museum in Jiangsu Province, China.
The exhibition made its public debut on August 9, 2016, following an opening ceremony attended by a large number of media and special guests. ROM representatives included Dr. Krzysztof Grzymski, Senior Curator (Egypt & Nubia); Dr. Chen Shen, Vice President of World Cultures and Senior Curator Ancient Chinese Archaeology, and Keith Spence, a ROM Trustee.
Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO states, “I am pleased to share our spectacular collection of ancient Egyptian art with new audiences at the famed Nanjing Museum. The ROM’s curators work in 27 countries around the globe, cultivating important relationships like this one with the Nanjing Museum. The ROM looks forward to continuing this important international partnership through additional exhibition and research collaborations.”
Pharaohs and Kings: Treasures of Ancient Egypt and China’s Han Dynasty presents over 150 objects from the ROM’s ancient Egyptian collections, one of the most important in North America. They are displayed alongside 200 works from the Nanjing Museum’s Han Dynasty collections. The exhibition takes the unique, comparative approach of presenting side-by-side works of art and culture drawn from both Pharaonic and Roman Egypt (3100 BC—AD 395) and Imperial China (3rd century BC—3rd century AD) while exploring the two dynasties’ burial practices and beliefs on the afterlife. Beautifully designed, the presentation allows for the evaluation and comparison of diverse elements of these two ancient and highly significant cultures.
Highlights among the stunning objects loaned to the exhibition include such ROM visitor favourites as a mummified cat dated to c. 30 BC—395 AD; a mummy of Chantress of Amun, Nefer-Mut dated to c. 922—887 BC; and a large granite sculpture, likely of Cleopatra VII, dated to c. 47—30 BC.
The Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Federal Minister of International Trade, says, “I am pleased that the ROM, a world-renowned Canadian museum, has partnered with China's distinguished Nanjing Museum. We always look to expand our borders and this cultural collaboration beautifully illustrates the vibrant relationship enjoyed between our two countries. Congratulations to both institutions."
The Hon. Eleanor McMahon, Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, states, “I am thrilled that the Royal Ontario Museum is contributing beyond our borders and allowing new audiences in China to enjoy one of the best ancient Egyptian collections from North America. As home to iconic institutions like the ROM, our province has a vibrant culture sector that our government is proud to support. This partnership is a prime example of how international collaboration and partnerships can benefit both nations and bring people closer together through shared cultural experience.”
Pharaohs and Kings will close at the Nanjing Museum on January 9, 2017. The ROM’s objects will move to the Jinsha Site Museum in Sichuan Province, where they will be displayed from January 25 to May 4, 2017.
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