Detail of a feast for Nebamun, fragment of a scene from the tomb-chapel of Nebamun. Thebes, Egypt, Late 18th dynasty, around 1350BC
Culture24's Ben Miller talks to British Museum curator Richard Parkinson ahead of an exciting new Ancient Egyptian gallery opening in the New Year.
Just shy of two months before his new exhibition opens, the British Museum's Richard Parkinson is exhausted. “The one thing that everybody in the department is doing is going up to the gallery on a daily basis,” he reveals excitedly. “Every day you see another sheet of glass going in and it just looks better and better.”
The curator is overseeing the British Museum’s new Egyptian gallery and he can be excused a little fatigue. Eight years after the largest conservation effort in the museum’s history began, restoring paintings from the now lost tomb chapel belonging to 14th century accountant Nebamun, Richard’s tireless work on the project is about to come to fruition.
Initially aiming to provide a new showcase for the decorative works of art, Richard’s team has has gone to painstaking lengths to consolidate their precious subjects, moulding 11 large fragments into two conjoined pieces depicting an entire scene.
The second part of their mission has been to provide a living context, highlighting the realities of Egyptian society which are often hidden from view.
Nebamun hunting in the marshes, fragment of a scene from the tomb-chapel of Nebamun. Thebes, Egypt, Late 18th dynasty, around 1350BC
“This is how an accountant wanted people to remember his life – it’s not actually how it was,” says Richard, explaining the “didactic message” behind his gallery.
“What we have in the paintings is the tomb owner looking big and grand and fit and then lots of little farmers driving their cattle towards him and generally being happy."
"They are often used in children’s books to illustrate how the ancient Egyptians lived, and we really want to try and remind people that although they look very spontaneous and naturalistic, it’s all aspirational.”
Detail of Nebamun hunting in the marshes, fragment of a scene from the tomb-chapel of Nebamun. Thebes, Egypt, Late 18th dynasty, around 1350BC
It’s a difficult task when the only evidence available comes from the richest minority of society. “The tomb owner is five percent maximum of the population,” explains Richard. Incapable of writing and unable to afford the sort of elaborate burials many of the preserved objects come from, our knowledge of the lives of the rest of the country remains frustratingly fleeting.
“We only ever see the workers as the rich want them to be seen. Even the archaeology we have for 90% of the population is very sparse,” says Richard.
“I think the divide was probably quite immense and characteristic of many societies, not just Egypt – Greece, Rome, India. The real problem is that all of our records come from the top of society. That’s what gets preserved, so we have a very unbalanced view. The gallery just wants to remind people of that.”
Conservation of Nebamun wall paintings by Karen Birkhoelzer applying aluminium foil to edges
Placing the pieces under the microscope has only highlighted their breathtaking intricacy. “We’ve always known they’re some of the most famous images of Egyptian art, but what has been rather frightening is just how good they are,” adds Richard.
“It’s an absolutely standard, simple palette of the period, it’s just the sheer bloody skilful craftsmanship of the painters which makes them so special. Every time you look you see more details, and each detail creates more variety, it just adds a little bit of zest.”
The gallery includes a short walk-through installation which will allow visitors to recreate the tomb itself. Having been “sort of allergic” to hi-tech reconstructions, Parkinson has been won over by the slick, textured results.
Pool in Nebamun’s estate garden, fragment of a scene from the tomb-chapel of Nebamun. Thebes, Egypt, Late 18th dynasty, around 1350BC
He’s hoping the online version of the reconstruction will provide a taster on the museum’s website before the display opens. “It’s been a very long and elaborate process and slightly nerve-wracking for everybody”, he admits. “But I’m very optimistic. I’m biased, but I think we’re probably going to have the most beautiful gallery in the museum. It’ll certainly be an absolute show-stopper.”
The gallery opens in Room 61 of the British Museum on January 21 2009.
All photographs and images © The British Museum.
