VICTORIA, BC - Experience immortality. The wonders of ancient Egypt come alive at the Royal B.C. Museum from July 10 - October 31, 2004. One-hundred-and-forty-four treasures from the British Museum's permanent collection dazzle the eye and intrigue the imagination.

Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art from the British Museum brings the treasures of 3,000 years of Egyptian history to Victoria this summer. The Royal B.C. Museum is the only place in the Pacific Northwest to display these specially-chosen artifacts, which have rarely been seen outside of London. Renovations at the British Museum prompted the tour of these priceless works of art from an ancient civilization.

The exhibit includes renowned sculptures like the colossal red granite lion that guarded a Nubian temple more than 3,000 years ago, and the massive stone head of King Amenhotep III from a statue which stood over 7 metres (23 feet) high outside his funerary temple in Thebes. A more delicate offering is the Mummy Mask of Satdjehuty, which is resplendent in gold and lapis lazuli. There are exquisite pages from The Egyptian Book of the Dead, which reveal magical spells to protect and help ordinary people on their journey to the afterlife.

Everyday life in Ancient Egypt is brought to life through special programs at the museum about food, fashion and personal adornment. Families can discover how to make perfume, enjoy a henna tattoo, and even learn to cook a meal fit for King Tutankhamun himself. A journey into the mysteries of mummification with a real life mummy as a guide will illuminate Egyptian views of life after death.

Eternal Egypt: Masterworks of Ancient Art from the British Museum begins its Canadian Tour on February 28, 2004 at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Other venues include the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts from January 22 to May 15, 2005.

Contact: Chris Higgins, Royal B.C. Museum
Media Relations Coordinator
Phone: (250) 387-2101
Email: cahiggins@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca