About time too, some of the pieces are looking a bit old to me.
EGYPTIAN GALLERIES AT WORLD MUSEUM LIVERPOOL TO GET A NEW LOOK
New displays for a prestigious collection in 2008
National Museums Liverpool plan to refurbish the Egyptian Galleries at World Museum Liverpool. The news follows the announcement by the Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) of a £300,000 grant from the DCMS/Wolfson Foundation Museums & Galleries Improvement Fund. The project with a total budget of over half a million pounds will build on the success of the hugely popular World Museum Liverpool by revitalising the Egyptian gallery, which is now 30 years old.
The new gallery will bring to life a prestigious and outstanding collection enabling visitors to explore, discover and learn through stimulating interpretation and high quality design.
National Museums Liverpool’s Egyptian collection ranks among the best in the UK and is internationally significant. There are approximately 15,000 items in the Egyptian collection, almost 5,000 of which are from a donation by local goldsmith and antiquarian Joseph Mayer in 1867 and are of major importance to the heritage of the museum.
The gallery will tell the story of Egypt’s modern legacy as pioneers of science, art and architecture. Great Egyptian discoveries will show the passage of time back through the Arab conquest and the Roman invasion, to Alexander the Great and the Egypt of the Pharaohs. The rediscovery of Egypt will be portrayed through the stories and artefacts discovered by key pioneers connected to National Museums Liverpool’s collections including Belzoni, Garstang and Petrie.
The great dynasties will be explored in addition to the pre-dynastic origins of Egypt, its people and geography. Thanks to inscriptions, tomb paintings and objects from the collections a picture of everyday life will build; from fishing, farming, irrigation, engineering and warfare to diet, fashion, music and dance, to health and beliefs. Audio visual presentations will recreate voices of long ago, bringing to life the personalities and characters of this ancient land. A highlight of the gallery will be a recreation of a tomb exploring themes of life, death and eternity.
The gallery is due for completion in 2008 as part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations.
Dr Ashley Cooke, Head of Antiquities at National Museums Liverpool, said ‘The Egyptian collection is of great international significance and is known worldwide by Egyptologists. I am looking forward to increasing the public awareness of this fabulous collection and developing a gallery that reflects Liverpool’s strong connection with the study of ancient Egypt.’
World Museum Liverpool William Brown Street, Liverpool Admission FREE
Open 10am-5pm every day Information 0151 478 4393
www.worldmuseumliverpool.org.uk