Osiris at L'Institut du Monde Arabe

One afternoon we had nothing to do, and recalled the many people who had recommended the Osiris exhibition at the Institut du Monde Arabe.  It was almost an hour on the bus, but we got an excellent tour of the city on the way.  

The expo was excellent, about the early pharaohs, the development of the practices of mummification, and the religious rites of the day.  All of that was shown through archaeological discoveries by a French diving team in the sea off the coast of Egypt.  So in addition to documenting many aspects of the Osiris practices, they also documented the scope of trade and commerce between peoples, and the types of boats used.  

And the objects were lovely. 

 

 Many showed the influences of Greek styles. 

 A small, beautifully wrought temple found in pieces scattered on land and sea.  It was not until the parts in the sea were found that the object could be recognized as a single structure.  Many of the carvings were preserved because they were in the water face down, protecting them from erosion. 

 Remember the golden calf?