The painted wooden sarcophagus of Ramses II, an exceptional loan from Egypt to France, will be presented in Paris for the first time in 47 years from April, as part of an exhibition-event dedicated to this great sovereign. Egyptian and gold of the pharaohs, announce Thursday, January 12 the organizers.
In Europe, it will only be visible in Paris, the spring stage after San Francisco of this international exhibition, entitled “
Ramses and the gold of the pharaohs
”, which will then be hosted in Sydney in the fall.
It will allow you to admire this famous anthropomorphic royal coffin in cedar wood, specifies AFP the World Heritage Exhibitions, which organizes it from April 7 to September 6 at the great hall of La Villette.
Back in France after 47 years
The famous sarcophagus, usually on display at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo, had not been released from Egypt for 45 years.
It was presented in Paris at the Grand Palais in 1976 during an exhibition already devoted to Ramses II, one of the most famous pharaohs of the 19th dynasty, a great warrior and prolific builder who reigned for 67 years.
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Originally it was to be covered with gilding and inlays of gems or glass, but the surface was then probably scraped and painted yellow, with some details highlighted in bright colors and eyes outlined in black.
This sarcophagus shows the king, arms crossed on his chest, holding the heqa scepter and the nekhakha whip, and wearing a nemes adorned with the erect cobra and a false beard braided under his chin.
The shroud he is wearing covers his feet.
Several inscriptions are also visible there, in particular at the level of the belly, recalling the name of "
Ramses loved by Amon
".
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After the success of the exhibition "Tutankhamun
, the treasure of the pharaohs
" in 2019 at the great hall of La Villette which had attracted 1.4 million visitors, that on "
Ramses and the gold of the Pharaohs
" will allow the general public to also discover other sarcophagi, precious jewellery, statues and amulets as well as animal mummies, including cats.