São Paulo – An exhibition at the Francis Bacon Art Space in Curitiba, Brazil, shows the beginning of Brazil’s relations with Egypt as a way of celebrating the 200th anniversary of Egyptology, the study of ancient Egypt. The show “O Egito dos Imperadores” [Egypt of Emperors] opened on November 2 and runs until December 30, with free admission (see below for opening times).
The exhibition is divided into two sections. One displays the history of the collection of emperor Dom Pedro I’s Egyptian antiquities brought from France to Brazil, as well as 80 replicas of such pieces that were part of Rio de Janeiro’s National Museum. There are even replicas of some artifacts that have never been exhibited or were lost in the museum’s fire. The highlight is the Hor-sa-Aset mummy.
The second section of the exhibition shows the interest of Dom Pedro II in Egypt and his travel itinerary in the nineteenth century. Maps and 28 photos from that time that are part of the National Library are displayed with descriptions registered in the emperor’s diary. A replica of the statue of lady Takushit, a gift received by the emperor, and photos from the emperors’ Egyptian collections are part of the exhibition.
The 200 years of Egyptology are celebrated this year due to the decipherment of hieroglyphs by France’s Jean-François Champollion in 1822. “Therefore, with the publication of the ‘Letter to M. Dacier concerning the alphabet of the phonetic hieroglyphs’ by Champollion in 1822, we see the birth of Egyptology that is being celebrated across the world. Here in Brazil, we thought that this date couldn’t go by unnoticed,” said PhD in Ancient History and archeologist Moacir Elias Santos, curator of the exhibition.
The show is held by the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum and Ciro Flamarion Cardoso Archeology Museum. The Francis Bacon Art Space is located on the second floor of the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum’s building, which holds a permanent exhibition focused on preserving the history of Ancient Egypt, with emphasis on pharaoh Tutankhamun and the presence of several replicas of pieces and Egyptian mummies.
Quick facts:
Exhibition Egypt of the Emperors
From November 2 to December 30, 2022
Francis Bacon Art Space – Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum
Rua Nicarágua, 2620 – Curitiba/Paraná, Brazil
Tuesday to Friday, from 10 am to 5 pm. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 10 am to 4:30 pm
Free admission
Find out more here
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
