São Paulo – Four stories and the foyer at São Paulo’s Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil (CCBB) are fully taken. Entirely devoted to an age-old history. “Ancient Egypt: from everyday life to eternity” is organized from the top on down. It makes sense. The further I’d descend with a group of fellow reporters guided by the show’s curator Pieter Tjabbes (pictured above), the deeper we’d sink into the life purpose of Ancient Egyptians. Pharaohs, priests and the poor alike all seemed to devote their time to seeking the path to life after death.
It was all for the sake of eternity, and yet it never took away from enjoyment of the earthly experience. The 4th floor, illuminated by shades of yellow, is chock full of cherishment for the day-to-day. Jars of make-up. Sculptures and paintings. The life of the people along River Nile. Culture and vanity. As Tjabbes put it, “It’s comforting to see that nothing’s changed. Back then they had love, friendship, power struggles, religion, just the same as today.” Minor stuff that brings Egypt much closer to our own reality.
As close as the 3rd floor, the ‘Religion’ floor, I can almost see, in my mind’s eye, the priestly version of your modern-day con. Eternal life takes time and dedication. And it takes money. Building altars, making offerings and statues and, of course, mummification. Even the pets were on to it – hence the not-so-cute cats scattered throughout the exhibit. Maybe that’s because they’re mummified cats. Or were they even cats? “Specimens dedicated to the goddess Bastet were found in such profusion that a study found many contained only parts of cats’ bodies. And some contained no cat at all,” said Tjabbes.
But felines are merely the entrée once you get to the 2nd floor. Human mummies. Lying in their lined-up sarcophaguses. And a book with a mission: leading the mummified ones into the eagerly awaited Eternity. These days, the Book of the Dead would be called something like ‘Practical guide to not getting lost on one’s way to eternity.’ The copy on show is a 3 meter-plus papyrus with the latest tips on prayers to ‘wake up a mummy’ and make it through the proverbial judgement day.
And giving directions just once wasn’t enough. It was about the papyrus and ‘mummify me as I hold this book tight, for the love of gods!’ Oh, and just as a precaution, make drawings of all those tips on the tomb walls! But what if they move me to a different tomb? Well, let’s draw them on the sarcophagus then, just to be safe. Just be sure to remember to draw up my favorite foods, ok? What am I going to eat all through the millennia? As Tjabbes noted, it’s like a ‘300-policy death insurance.’
And mind you that you needed more than just cash to afford the mummification, the tomb and the pomp that went with it. There was a path to take, and then a final test. A kind of ‘cardiac test’ involving the corpse’s heart. “In the book they described prayers pleading for help from several gods. It was also common to make a special request to one’s own heart, so it wouldn’t betray its host come judgement day. They believed the heart would be placed on a scale and it couldn’t weigh more than a feather,” said Tjabbes.
And the exhibit goes on with a pyramid, selfies with the sphynx, videos, original works straight from the Museu Egizio in Turin, Italy, and even a replica of Nefertari’s tomb. True bits of this larger-than-life history. A hell of a lot of work, for the sake of eternity. And the trade seems worthwhile. After all, after a lifetime striving to pass your life-after-death exam, it’s only fair one shouldn’t be in a hurry to leave.
Quick facts
Ancient Egypt: from everyday life to eternity
February 19 – May 11
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil São Paulo
Rua Álvares Penteado, 112 – Centro Histórico, Triângulo SP, São Paulo–São Paulo
Open daily from 9am to 9pm, except Tuesdays
Phone: +55 (11) 4298-1270
Free admission
CCBB Distrito Federal: June 2 – Aug 30
CCBB Belo Horizonte: Sept 16 – Nov 23
Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
