Ceremonial Journey
How a tradition came from Egypt to Sudan
Author: Emily Austin
Mycenaean trade in action
from Mycenae to Britain and Sudan
Exhibit Curators:
Topsham Axe, Britain
This Mycenaean double axe made of bronze was discovered in 1865 at Topsham, Mount Howe, in South Devon. It is of a Greek mainland type with parallels found in Mycenae and dated to the 15th-13th century BC.
Mycenaean stirrup jar, From Greece, 1400 BC-1200 BC, Found in Gurob, Egypt
This stirrup jar is wheel made, has a piriform body on a high stem and a false neck with two strap handles. It is decorated with red brown painted bands and can have chevrons on the shoulder. Such vessels have been used for the storage and transport of luxury ointments and oils. Although shapes and decorative styles were of Cretan origin, the final decoration of the Mycenaean vessel was not quite as finely executed as in Minoan centers such as Knossos and Phaistos.
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Life After Death
A Chinese tomb figure
Model of a camel carrying luxury goods
People feel frightened when they think about death. Many people think that once we die we lose awareness of everything. Since ancient times, Chinese people believed in life after death. We see this through burial figures, such as this camel from the tomb of a wealthy person in northern China.
Societies all over the world engage in rituals showing that there is life after death. In the modern world many still believe this, including Muslims, Christians and Buddhists.
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My Journey is my Home
My Home is my Life
Tent pole bag, okbash
Bags used to cover tent pole ends, made of felted wool, horse hair and cotton are manufactured by Uzbek nomads across Central Asia. Used in pairs, they are embroidered and embellished with horse hair tassels and woven straps. Made for the bridal dowry, these bags were utilitarian objects of high symbolic value. Commonly decorated with patterns that celebrate fertility or provide protection such as ram’s horns and celestial motifs, the okbash are an essential item in nomadic life.
