You’ve no doubt heard of the famous King Tut exhibit. (There’s also a Vegas version at Luxor that replicates Howard Carter’s 1922 archaeological find.) And no doubt you’ve seen any countless one of the horror and action movies dedicated to mummies. But for all the attention human mummification has received over the last 100-plus years, what about animals? Well, wonder no more, as the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art’s current exhibit explores that very thing.
Soulful Creatures: Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt, on display until Sept. 13, brings together nearly 100 artifacts, including 36 mummified animals and more than 60 significant Egyptian masterworks that demonstrate their role in ritual and religion.
The exhibit is divided into four categories: beloved pets; food offerings preserved for the afterlife; divine embodiments of deities; and votive gifts intended to carry prayers to the heavens. The mummies themselves, unearthed from more than 30 cemeteries during the 19th and 20th centuries, span Egyptian history from as early as 760 B.C.E. through the second century C.E.
Exhibit offerings include:
• A wood coffin gilded in silver, gold and rock crystal and containing an ibis mummy.
• A seated statuette of King Pepy I on his alabaster throne, wearing the tall white crown of Upper Egypt royalty, with the falcon of Horus peering over his shoulder.
• A crocodile mummy. Ancient Egyptians would present them to the god Sobek in hopes of gaining his assistance with everyday challenges.
• A lion image carved during a period (3300-3100 B.C.E.) when kings were known to bury lions near their tombs. Images of lions were associated with powerful deities like Sekhmet and Bastet.
“This exhibition celebrates the timeless bond between humans and animals,” said Demecina Gray, MGM Resorts’ director of art and culture. “These extraordinary mummies reveal how creatures were not only companions, but also sacred symbols woven into the spiritual life of ancient Egypt. Soulful Creatures invites visitors to rediscover the powerful role animals played in faith, ritual and the journey beyond death.”
Bellagio. 702.693.7871. bellagio.mgmresorts.com
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