Mummy exhibition in Hong Kong for 20th handover anniversary shows life in ancient Egypt
The theme is eternal life, with 200 cultural relics from the British Museum
Hongkongers will have their first and perhaps only chance in decades to view six Egyptian mummies from the British Museum starting Friday as they might be “retired” soon after finishing a global tour, a local curator has said.
The exhibition titled “Eternal Life: Exploring Ancient Egypt” is to run at the Science Museum until October and feature around 200 Egyptian cultural relics, ranging from ancient Egyptian children’s clothes to protective amulets and jewels placed on the mummies’ bodies.
Science museum curator Chan Shuk-man said the six mummies would go on “a global exhibition tour” after first stopping in Hong Kong. She noted the preserved bodies “might be ‘retired’ very soon after” the tour.
Chan said that as mummies cannot be transported frequently between locations, the mysterious and fragile ancient bodies would have to be returned to the British Museum within three years.
“They might not be available for display for at least 20 years after this tour,” she added.