Mummies of the World, a special exhibition at the National Museum of Nature and Science Time Travelers from Civilizations Wise and Ancient: A Curator Unravels the Great Appreciation and Appeal of Mummies
The august halls of the National Museum of Nature and Science have become a hallowed resting ground for Mummies of the World. If the long lines of visitors snaking around the museum’s ticket box office are any indication, the special exhibition has proved a resounding – if slightly ominously-titled – success. We spoke with exhibition curator Kazuhiro Sakaue regarding the highlights of the exhibition, as well as the irresistible appeal of mummies in general.
The exhibition’s co-curator, Kazuhiro Sakaue, Senior curator of the Division of Human Evolution within the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum of Nature and Science.
Two mummies lay side-by-side in repose, one’s arm wrapped around the other’s weist in an eternal embrace. A female mummy, curled up in the fetal position, protecting a silent infant, another child presumably positioned carefully in place along her back. As the procession of museumgoers pass this intimate scene in the hushed gallery, each visitor seems to ponder the lives and shared fates of these ancient guests of honor.
“I’ve
always been intrigued by mummies. When I tell people the nature of my research,
I always receive a favorable reaction. Even so, I wasn’t sure this exhibition
would draw such a large turnout.”
As curator Kazuhiro Sakaue surveys the packed museum floor, it’s clear that the exhibition has resonated with the public far more than he could have ever predicted.
The ambitious exhibition consisted of a wide array of mummies, anthropoid coffin, burial items, and other ancient Egyptian artifacts. The museum even produced a number of educational videos explaining the mummification process.
When we
hear the word “mummy,” Egypt is the first place that comes to mind. However, the
exhibition has assembled a collection of 43 mummies from all over the world,
including South America, Europe, and Oceania. Of course, there is a Japanese
mummy, too.
One
particular highlight was the self-mummified herbalist. Herbalism (“honsogaku”) reached a particular fever
pitch in Edo-period Japan, practiced by learned scholars of pharmacology and
the natural world.
“Especially
for those of us conducting research at natural history museums, these men were
our disciplinary forebears. We still have much to learn from them. This
particular individual here demonstrated a remarkable dedication to his field,
offering his own body as a mummy for the benefit of future researchers in one
extremely farsighted experiment.”
Although
the scholar would surely have left detailed records for posterity, such
documents have unfortunately been lost to time. However, successive generations
of disciples faithfully relayed his final instructions: “Remember to dig me up
someday.” By the time the scholar was unearthed as part of a postwar rezoning
project, his body had indeed become an exemplary mummy.
When examining the mummy up close, the viewer is struck by the fine degree of texture preserved over the centuries, from his calm, somnolescent expression, to the clearly visible mustache and nearly discernable pores in his skin.
The herbalist mummy. A CT scan revealed that the scholar consumed an exorbitant number of persimmon seeds before his death, a factor which perhaps explains the redness of his skin. (Circa 1832, National Museum of Nature and Science Collection)
“No
matter how high-definition, a photograph or X-ray image will never compare with
admiring a real mummy face-to-face. As a researcher working in the natural
sciences, I spend a considerable amount of time in the collection archives.
Sometimes I’ll feel someone looking at me, and turn around, only to find that
it was a mummy. I think there’s something very special about mummies as objects,
and the way their presence fills a room.”
More
than ever, Dr. Sakaue urges all to avail themselves of this rare opportunity to
experience mummies in person.
“Incidentally, I came to see a mummy exhibition here at the National Museum of Nature and Science as a child. That exhibition was the reason I decided to become a physical anthropologist.”
Bitten by the bug (or scarab, as it were) at a young age, Dr. Sakaue has now come full circle, curating a mummy exhibition of his own.
Dr. Sakaue: “To tell the truth, I couldn’t resist faithfully recreating one of the exhibits that I first saw here at the museum all those years ago as a child. It’s the display with the two mummies and the shrunken heads.”
Transcending country and region, mummies are extremely valuable for their religious, cultural, and scientific merit. They are also incredibly fragile. As many cannot be safely transported, an exhibition of this scale is an uncommon accomplishment. Not to mention that many of the mummies are famous enough to individually warrant entire exhibitions in their own right. For example, the six Chachapoyas mummies; compared to Egyptian mummies, which conjure up images of opulent masks and jewelry, the Peruvian mummies are commonly found buried with everyday items, such as balls of cotton yarn and spindles. These quotidian accoutrements present the mummies in rather a simpler, more wholesome light.
A Chachapoyas mummy with face exposed. The ball of cotton yarn held in hand reveals a facet of life in the Inca Empire. (Pre-Columbian era, Chachapoyas – Inca culture. Ministerio de Cultura del Perú/Museo Leymebamba)
Dr.
Sakaue says that mummies are time travelers, capable of teaching us
long-forgotten secrets about the lifestyles and attitudes toward death held by
cultures dating back hundreds, or even many thousands, of years.
“Mummies
are a means of bestowing the dead with immortality. But a mummy only truly
becomes eternal when multiple histories, multiple timelines intersect.”
Each
mummy interweaves myriad threads that form a larger story, at the very least
incorporating the personal history of the human inside the mummy, the time and
technology behind the mummification process, and the archaeologist who
subsequently discovers the mummy. Then, of course, there are the many
researchers who work to add scientific value and protect the mummy’s legacy for
posterity.
“As a
researcher whose love for mummies knows no bounds, I hope that Mummies of
the World will further facilitate this unbroken relay, and allow us to
safely pass the baton on to future generations.”
A
committed steward of the mummy mantle, Dr. Sakaue eagerly adds:
“You know, Ueno Park is home to its fair share of mummies. Apart from the National Museum of Nature and Science, the Tokyo National Museum has an incredible ancient Egyptian mummy. I heard that it’s on display now. Where else but Ueno can someone be enjoying a stroll in the park, only to stumble upon a mummy exhibition, then pop on over to the National Museum of Western Art to bask in the glory of Rodin’s rippling, muscular, lifelike sculptures. I hope everyone has a chance to indulge in all that this corner of Ueno has to offer.”
Text: Eri Eguchi Photos: Fumitaka Miyoshi
Mummies of the World
Venue: National Museum of Nature and Science Dates: Saturday. November 2nd, 2019 through Monday, February 24th, 2020 Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (open until 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays) *Last entry 30 minutes before closing Admission (tax included): General admission/college students ¥1,700 Elementary, junior high, and high school students: ¥600 Exhibition website: http://www.tbs.co.jp/miira2019/
■Traveling Exhibition Info *Please refer to the homepage of each relevant institution for up-to-date ticketing information.
Kumamoto Venue: Kumamoto-jo Hall Dates: Wednesday, March 25th through Sunday, June 7th, 2020
Fukuoka Venue: Fukuoka City Museum Dates: Saturday, July 4th through Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020
Niigata Venue: Nitsu Art Museum Dates: Saturday, October 10th through Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020
Toyama Venue: Toyama Kenminkaikan Museum of Art Dates: February through March 2021 (Details TBD)
Note: Information in this article current as of February 2020.
