A number of exciting art exhibitions were postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but art and history lovers (thankfully) have more excitement to look forward to in 2021. Later this year, a blockbuster exhibition of ancient Egyptian treasures will debut in the United States, completing separate stints in three major U.S. cities before heading across the Atlantic for a European run.
The massive exhibit, dubbed Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold, will kick off in November at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences in Houston before heading to the De Young Museum in San Francisco and the Castle Hall in Boston. After the show’s stateside stint, the rare exhibition will head to the London Exhibition Hall in London and La Felette Hall in Paris, according to independent Middle Eastern news outlet Albawaba. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities recently announced the worldwide tour of Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold, which is slated to run from November 2021 through January 2025. (The government organization must approve all Egyptian antiquities before they leave the country for international exhibitions.)
As the exhibit’s name suggests, Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold will focus on the ancient Egyptian royal dynasties and their relationship to gold. (Archaeological findings indicate that ancient Egyptians believed a person would become immortal by owning the shiny precious metal.) Although the official list of antiquities for the exhibition hasn’t been released, the collection will likely include a number of the same artifacts featured in the Pharaoh’s Gold: 3,000 Years of Ancient Egypt exhibit held at Germany’s Völklingen Ironworks museum last year.
If so, visitors to Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold will be able to peruse an extensive collection of Egyptian gold antiquities dating back more than 3,200 years, including the oldest known pure gold statue of Pharaoh Khafre (who reigned during the Fourth dynasty of ancient Egypt in 2570 B.C.E.), as well as gold coins, an ancient perfume bottle, and a gold beaded necklace once worn by Egyptian royalty as a symbol of protection and luck.
While exact dates and ticket information for the global tour haven’t been released, we’ll be keeping a close eye on updates—so watch this space for more news about the shiny exhibit if you need something to look forward to.
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