On December 6, 2020, the “Queen Nefertari’s Egypt” exhibition opens to the public at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, TX. The exhibition was organized in collaboration with the Museo Egizio of Turin, Italy, and with the support of the Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C., and the Consulate General of Italy in Houston and will be on view through March 14, 2021.
Queen Nefertari’s Egypt celebrates the wives of pharaohs during the New Kingdom period (1550–1070 B.C.), when Egyptian civilization was at its height. These women – not just royal wives, but also sisters, daughters and mothers of pharaohs, and sometimes even pharaohs themselves – are brought to life through some 230 exceptional objects, including majestic statues, exquisite jewelry, decorated vases, papyrus manuscripts, carved steles, intricately painted wooden coffins and splendid stone sarcophagi, as well as tools and various items of daily life from the artisan village of Deir el-Medina, home to the craftsmen who made the royal tombs. These astonishing treasures also trace the journey of discovery made by the Italian archaeologist Ernesto Schiaparelli and his team on the banks of the ancient Nile. All of the selected masterpieces come from the world-renowned Museo Egizio in Turin, which holds one of the most important collections of ancient Egyptian works outside of Cairo and is one of the most prestigious museums in Italy.
“The Kimbell Art Museum and the Museo Egizio of Turin, institutions on both sides of the Atlantic, have come together to display the richness and vastness of a common cultural heritage that dates back millennia, as well as the indelible mark left by women in the history of humankind,” said Ambassador Varricchio. “The protection of cultural heritage has always been a priority for Italy and a hallmark of our foreign policy, and thus the Embassy is particularly pleased to support this exhibition and the institutions involved, which do so much in this respect.”
“Ancient Egypt has long fascinated the modern world,” said Eric M. Lee, director of the Kimbell Art Museum, “and we are thrilled to present this extraordinary exhibition that is altogether alluring, grand, exotic and captivating. We are especially grateful to the Museo Egizio of Turin for lending us this extraordinary collection of objects.”
The exhibition is accompanied by a full-color catalogue, which invites the readers to explore the fascinating history behind the Museo Egizio.
For a virtual tour of the exhibition click here
