When the Tutankhamun exhibit last visited Toronto, the year was 1979, and I was just nine years old. Although most of my childhood is a blur, one thing I remember clearly is my obsession with all things related to King Tut. I was such a fanatic that I withdrew $10.00 from my bank account (that was
a lot of money back in 1979!!) to purchase a ceramic copy of the funeral mask. Unfortunately, being such a young child and living outside of the city, I didn't have the opportunity to visit the AGO for the event.
All of that changed tonight when after 30 years of waiting, I finally had the good fortune to spend a few hours exploring ancient Egypt at the
Art Gallery of Ontario. I attended a Private Viewing Event hosted by Amex, which meant that there were a limited number of people in the gallery for the evening. It was such a pleasure to peruse the exhibit at a leisurely pace and soak in the history. The statues, the treasures, the artifacts - it was absolutely amazing!!!! My only disappointment was that the funeral mask no longer travels with the exhibit - too delicate to travel, it permanently resides in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
My American Express Pass for the Event
Anubis Guards the AGO Entrance
On a Side Note:
The redesign of the Art Gallery of Ontario by Canadian architect and designer Frank Gehry is simply awe inspiring. The
Gehry project was completed and reopened in November 2008, but tonight was my first opportunity to see the gallery since the redesign. Although I've seen it in photos, I couldn't help but be impressed when I saw the magnificent Douglas fir staircase spiralling above Walker Court. The American Express reception was held in Baillie Court on the 3rd floor, with a spectacular view of the CN Tower to the south.
Although cameras were not allowed in the galleries, you can follow
this link to access photos of all the artifacts on display in the King Tut exhibit at the AGO.
