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Eternal Egypt of the Pharaohs

Monaco's Grimaldi Forum takes us on a journey to Egypt for an exhibition dedicated to the Gold of the Pharaohs. 

The extraordinary scenography immerses us in another temporality. With the organizer's thoughtful gift of a woollen stole, we're ready for the full tour. 12 thematic areas are dedicated to "The Gold of the Pharaohs. In all, we'll be exploring 2,500 years of goldsmithing in ancient Egypt".

Pharaoh's Gold exhibition in Monaco

The sight of sculptures, sarcophagi and stelae with their mysterious hieroglyphs takes you back in time. Nearly 5,000 years ago, men and women designed pieces with their hands. This exhibition is part of the Cairo Museum's forthcoming program, a testament to the quality of the works presented.

Gold, lapis lazuli, earthenware (Bubatis, Zagagiz). XIX th dynasty, Cairo, Egyptian Museum.

Excavations organized in the XXth century have allowed us to find, in spite of the plundering that has always existed, some remarkable ancient jewels.

We can admire the balance of the geometric forms, the attention to the animal forms, the play of the materials which seem to me of an incredible modernity. These jewels could as well be worn today in our fashion shows.

They reflect the absolute mastery of the techniques of working with gold, silver, glass and stones, of which some objects illustrate the following know-how:

  • The cast iron (signet ring with the cartouche of Tutenkamon), gold
  • The cloisonné (bracelet in Oudjat in the name of Chéchonq 1st) gold, lapis lazuli, cornaline, earthenware, stone Tanis,
  • The filigree and granulation (bracelet with ducks of Ramses II) gold, lapis lazuli, earthenware,
  • The chiseling

The enduring power of the symbolic message in Egyptian art

This funerary mask reveals the powerful personality of the deceased as well as his power through the representation of his attributes in all finesse. The man's face perfectly expresses the message of eternal youth.

The wide necklace of a princess (XII th dynasty, reign of Amenemhat II) in gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli and amazonite is composed of 5 rows of protective amulets. Cairo, Egyptian Museum.

After this visit, we are amazed by the quality and imagination of those who made these art objects. Although they have a religious, political or social role, they translate a civilization based on a notion of going beyond space-time which makes the study of ancient Egypt fascinating.