The American Schools of Oriental Research

 

 

MUSEUM REVIEW

Enchanted by an Exposition: Magical
Antiquities from Egypt at Leiden

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden, Netherlands
October 16, 2010 – March 13, 2011

Review of the Exhibit
Sophie Tews and Sergio Lieverse
Leiden University

Immediately upon entering the exhibition room, the visitor finds him- or herself standing face-to-face with two statues of Sekhmet, a goddess in the Egyptian pantheon (fig. 1). In contrast to the rest of the first exposition hall, which is bright and colorful, these statues stand against a dark background, lending a sense of mystery to the exposition.

Figure 1 Sekhmet
Two statues of the goddess Sekhmet depicted with a lion’s head. She symbolized the destructive powers of the sun, but was also called upon to heal illness. A few hundred statues of her were found in the Mut temple in Karnak. These statues were made out of granite. © British Museum, London.

On the other side of this dark curtain, the masterpiece of the exhibition is displayed: a two-thousand-year-old magic book that was cut in two and is now reunited for the first time in over a hundred years. Although quite impressive, this is not the only magical object on display in the exhibition Egyptian Magic in the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, the Netherlands. Over three-hundred objects that illustrate this subject, including amulets, statues of gods and charms, are distributed through two exposition rooms. The objects come from the museum’s own collection, which is known as one of the best Egyptian collections in the world, supplemented by pieces from the Musée du Louvre and the British Museum, which give the collection a multinational character. Several Dutch museums also contributed to help round out this exposition. The aim of the museum is to educate the visitor about the way magic was used in the everyday lives of ancient Egyptians. The exposition successfully demonstrates that magic was not only used in ancient societies, but continues to be used in modern ones as well.

The artifacts in this exhibition consist for the most part of small household relics, with some exceptions. The fact that the museum wants to teach the visitor about the role of magic has priority and  this is evident in the choice not to demonstrate the greatness of Egyptian material culture by displaying large statues that represent the zenith of ancient Egyptian art. The function of many relatively small objects is explained by short, easily readable texts next to the objects in both Dutch and English. The exposition would take about one to two hours to visit if one were to read everything carefully. This gives the visitor enough time not only to see the special exhibit, but also to visit the very worthwhile permanent exposition of the museum.

The exposition consists of three parts. The first part is an introduction to Egyptian magic. Instead of telling stories about great temples and what can be found in them, this exposition focuses on magic as an everyday phenomenon for every Egyptian. At first an explanation is given of the way in which magic fits in the Egyptian worldview. The visitor learns that magic should be seen as the connection between the world of the living, the underworld and heaven, just like some kind of ancient internet. This exposition continuously offers comparisons to present-day society to allow the viewer gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of ancient Egyptian magic.
Much special attention is dedicated to the magic book that is united here for the first time since it was cut into two parts in the nineteenth century (fig. 2). This book, which is five meters long, contains ninety-eight spells to be used for multiple purposes. Some spells on this papyrus are meant to predict the future, while others are love spells. Three meters of this book are in the possession of the Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, and two meters are on loan from the British Museum. Combined, it is one of the most informative written sources about ancient Egyptian magic, although there are still some uncertainties about this scroll. It contains some spells that were written in an unknown code and, peculiarly, some Greek texts occur.

Figure 2 Scroll
A piece of the united conjuring book. It was the property of the Swedish consul, who decided to cut it in two. One part was sold in 1825 to the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden, the other half came into the possession of the British Museum in London. © British Museum, London.

The creators of the exposition are very open about these uncertainties and invite the viewer to think about the scientific problems involved in interpreting this written source. In addition, they highlight the issues concerning the conservation of artifacts made of fragile material, like papyrus, and point out that the part on loan from London was in much better condition due to better conservation techniques in the nineteenth century.

The second part of the exposition consists of an educational film that provides more in-depth information about Egyptian magic. Maarten Raven, Egyptologist and curator of this exposition, is featured as well as other experts in the field.  One of the remarkable statements in the film is that magic was used predominantly to fight fears we still have nowadays, like death, sickness or losing a loved one.  This observation helps the visitor consider Egyptian magic apart from its modern western associations with the occult. The film also highlights groups that have been inspired by Egyptian religion and magic. Sufism, Freemasonry and Rosicrucianism all claim connections to the ancient Egyptians’ spiritual legacy. The film is very neatly put together and is a valuable addition to the exhibition.

The third part of the exposition consists of three blocks, each with its own subject. The first block, called ‘Magic in Temple Ritual,’ illustrates the ways in which magic functioned as part of Egyptian religion. As many uncontrollable factors could, for example, harm the harvest, magical fertilility figurines were used in temples to protect it. In this way magic and religion could easily intermix within the walls of the temple.
In the second block, ‘Magic of the Hereafter,’ the challenging path from the world of the living to the afterlife is described. This is done not only through the objects and texts on display, but also through an animated film that describes the whole journey. The artifacts on display illustrate multiple stages of this journey as well as amulets for the protection of the deceased.

The last block, ‘The Survival of Egyptian Magic,’ demonstrates the continuation of Egyptian magic in several cultures. The objects show the influence that Egyptian magic had on ancient Greek and Roman societies, and on  the  Islamic religion.
The exposition is supplemented by a catalog authored by curator Maarten Raven and entitled Egyptische Magie: Op zoek naar het toverboek van Thot [Egyptian Magic  -  In Search of Thoth’s Book of Enchantments]. It serves as a guide to the exposition, but also stands alone as an independent work.

The book shares a similar structure with the exposition. It starts with an introduction that considers how magic was used in ancient Egypt, which of the gods were called upon in critical times and how different spells were used in certain situations. It also describes how people thought of the gods, the priests (fig. 3), the dead and magic.

Figure 3 Khaemwas
This quartzite statue represents Khaemwas, the eldest son of Pharaoh Ramses II. Khaemwas was a priest of the god Ptah in the capital city of Memphis and is regarded as one of the greatest magicians in history. Stories about him circulated for more than thousand years.  © National Museum of Antiquities, Leiden.

As in the exposition, comparisons between ancient and modern magic illuminate the ancient phenomena. The writer emphasizes the need to see Egyptian magic through the eyes of the Egyptians who used this magic, and not through modern eyes. On the other hand he tries to explain that when it comes to magic, we have a lot in common with the ancient Egyptians. Although in modern times it often seems that everything has to be scientifically proven, we consciously or unconsciously still make use of ‘magic’ much in the same ways the Egyptians did, as the book’s last chapter explains.
The book is comprehensive and readable. It is also accessible to those who are interested but did not receive an academic education in Egyptology. The written information in the book is richly accompanied by beautiful color pictures of the objects on display. The sole drawback lies in the fact that the book is only published in Dutch. This is a pity, because the quality of the book is solid and the exposition has a multinational character and includes objects from the Louvre (fig. 4) and the British Museum.

Figure 4 Magic Wand
This bronze staff is a magic wand, shaped like a serpent. Since snakes were regarded as supernatural beings, many sorcerers were snake charmers. © Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Egyptian Magic in the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden is a very good example of a well-organized and fully thought through exposition. The exhibition does not showcase the biggest and most well-known objects from ancient Egypt, but instead tells a comprehensible and balanced story about the role of magic in everyday life in various circumstances. In this way, the visitor gets a better understanding of the problems and fears that ancient Egyptians faced and the way they dealt with circumstances beyond their control. This exposition gives a surprisingly clear view of the whole of Egyptian society, instead of focusing only on the elite. Through the smart use of color, light and modern museological tools such as film and animation, the exposition has a dynamic character. Also, the comparisons between ancient Egyptian magic and modern practices keep the visitor’s attention. In this way, the exposition succeeds in being at the same time amusing and interesting for visitors of all ages.

Catalog of the exhibition
Raven, M.J.
2010 Egyptische Magie: Op zoek naar het toverboek van Thot. Zutphen: Walburg Pers.