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Nubian collection from Boston from December in the Drents Museum

5 March 2018

In December 2018 the Drents Museum will present the archaeological exhibition Nubia – Land of the Black Pharaohs, organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This week director Harry Tupan was in Boston at the Museum of Fine Arts to sign the contracts to bring the exhibition to Assen. Over 300 objects will be making the journey from Boston to Assen. These impressive objects dating to 2400 BC to ca. 300 CE tell the story of the love-hate relationship between ancient Egypt and the Nubian kingdoms.    

Black pharaohs
Nubia is situated in the Nile valley in northern Sudan from the southern Egypt to Khartoum. From the Bronze Age to the Medieval period the history of this area was closely linked to that of ancient Egypt. The exhibition offers an overview of the Nubian area between 2400 BC and ca. 350 AD. The period between ca. 750 and 664 BC during which the Nubians conquered and ruled Egypt themselves is of central importance in the exhibition. 

Mystery of the old Nubia 
The Drents museum will show the mystery of the old Nubia using more than 300 objects from the Nubian collection from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Scientists connected to the museum in Boston excavated these finds between 1916 and 1920. Amongst the finds to be displayed are grave goods belonging to the grave of king Taharqo, who ruled Nubia from 690 BC to 664 BC. These grave goods include 60 shawabti’s. These are small statues shaped like mummy’s. These statues were supposed to act as servants to the deceased in the afterlife, where they would perform tasks for the deceased king.   

Archaeological exhibitions
The exhibition Nubia, which concerns a relatively unknown civilization from African antiquity, fits the mission which the Drents Museum has outlined for itself: The Drents Museum shows Drenthe something of the world, and shows the world something of Drenthe. The Drents Museum has built for itself a rich tradition in displaying large international exhibitions. These include the Terracotta army of Xi’An (2008), The Dead Sea Scrolls (2012), and the Maya’s (2016). 

Press photos
Click the images below to enlarge them.

   
 

Credits
- Shawabty of King Senkamanisken, 643–623 B.C., Harvard University-Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Mask of Queen Malakaye, 643–623 B.C., Harvard University-Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Offering table of Prince Tedeken, 200-100 B.C., Harvard University-Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Statue of King Senkamanisken, 643–623 B.C., Harvard University-Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston