Remember last dec, when i saw the detailed write-up in the chinese papers abt the National Museum going to have an exhibit focusing on 230 Egyptian artefacts spanning from 4000 BC to 950 CE, i was thrilled... I told denise abt it but we felt that the $15 admission seems pricey. So denise suggested that we wait to see if there's any free admission days. 1 week ago, Denise emailed me abt the open house today. Supposedly we wanted to visit tog, but our timings couldn't fit, so i went on my own schedule.
My parents & I arrived 10mins past the opening time (10am). We tot that it's not that crowded as not many visitors were seen at the main entrance. Upon picking up the brochures at the counter, we proceeded to the basement & were surprised to see a Q forming! I guessed there were at least 50 pax queuing in front of us... the Q moved veri slow & dad grumbled that the security should allow more visitors in. Lady luck smiled upon us as the Q started to build up veri fast & the museum's mgt decided to allow more visitors inside. The crowd was controlled & batch by batch moved in accordingly.
After half an hour, it's our turn to step into the mysterious world of ancient egypt. The theme for this exhibit is ''Quest for Immortality - The World of Ancient Egypt''. The 2 adjoining exhibition galleries were darkened & spotlights shone on the exhibits. As no flash photography was allowed, i had a slight problem initially to snap the pics. There were also many small items in glass showcases wif visitors flocking around to catch a glimpse. I had bought along my SLR + Fuji cam but Dad was not keen to use it. Hence, i utilised my point-n-shoot to snap the descriptions & some fast shots. I guess i'm probably the only soul who was busily inter-changing between 2 cams, haha!
As the museum's crowd grew, i speed up my photo-taking such that i can get better views & not be blocked by so many people! I'm really impressed wif the skills & intelligence of the ancient egyptians, who knew how to preserve the bodies for thousands of years! The Mummy of Nes-Khons in cartonnage was unique as X-rays & CT scans revealed two other bodies contained within the covering & placed between her legs. These were two infants who died juz bef or after birth & may have been twins. While queuing earlier, i read 'beMUSE' - the latest editon of magazine by the museum which explained the background info in details. It's interesting to know that the aim of mummification was Not to preserve a person's body as it had been in life, but to create a new body that could last for eternity. During the process, the lungs, liver, stomach & intestines had special treatment thru' drying & application of sweet-smelling ointments, bef wrapped in linen & stored in special vessels called Canopic jars. The heart remained as it would be important in the judgement of the dead bef the gods.
Besides the mummies, there were many accessories & tools discovered in the egyptian tombs. I saw ''The Book of Dead'', which is a collection of spells, passwords & images to be used by the dead in the underworld. These were commonly written on a papyrus scroll in cursive hieroglyphic script & placed in the coffin or burial chamber of the deceased.
When i exited the galleries, i was shocked to see the Q had formed all the way from basement to the main entrance! So glad i managed to come early, else duno have to Q till wat time! News reported that there were over 2,000 visitors today! I muz be lucky to be the first 100 visitors. After touring the egyptian exhibits, we also popped by the 'THE BAG' gallery which displayed the retro carrier bags used in Singapore from the 1950s to the 1980s...
In a nutshell, this was indeed an eye-opening trip & it warrants a gd reason for me to visit our national musuem which i had not visited since school days! Still remember the old museum bef its renovation & it had this rumoured haunted spiral staircase inside? I wonder if that staircase is still there? hehe! For those of you who had missed the open house, the egyptian exhibit is still on till 4th of Apr this year. For more info, pls visit the National Museum Website. It's FOC for students & senior citizens.
Dreamer's Photography Tips: In low light places where flash is not allowed (e.g museum or you wanted a natural light scene), increasing your ISO to compensate gives u better shots.
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