Conserving the jacket NAME of a Jacobite prince
The primates take over the museum
BIONIC MAN
Explorer THE MAGAZINE FOR SUPPORTERS OF NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOTLAND
SECRETS OF
THE DEAD
Unravelling the mystery of a lost Egyptian tomb
SPRING 2017
Meet the creator of the world’s first electrically powered arm
SPRING 2017
Contents
Landmine clearing is painstaking and labour intensive PAGE 14
EXPLORER National Museums Scotland Chambers Street Edinburgh EH1 1JF Email explorer@nms.ac.uk www.nms.ac.uk Membership, donation and sponsorship enquiries 0131 247 4095 Explorer is the magazine for supporters of National Museums Scotland and is published by the Trustees of National Museums Scotland. Scottish Charity No SC011130 Editor Kathleen Morgan kathleen.morgan@ thinkpublishing.co.uk Editorial Panel Rosina Buckland, Alison Cromarty, Susan Gray, Helen Ireland, Joanna Macrae, Neil McLean, Anne McMeekin, Jackie Whalen Group Art Director Matthew Ball Designer Andrew Bell Chief Sub Editor Sian Campbell Sub Editor Kirsty Fortune Editorial Assistant Jonathan McIntosh Account Director Helen Cassidy helen.cassidy@thinkpublishing.co.uk Photography Neil McLean
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Produced by Think, on behalf of National Museums Scotland. Think, Suite 2.3, Red Tree Business Suites, 33 Dalmarnock Road, Glasgow G40 4LA www.thinkpublishing.co.uk
EVERY ISSUE
THIS ISSUE
04 WELCOME 05 SNAPSHOT Larger-than-life pottery 08 MUSEUM VOICES Filmmaker Gordon Buchanan 12 INSIDE STORY A Jacobite jacket fit for a prince 22 OBJECT OF DESIRE The world’s first bionic arm 23 MEMBERSHIP
14 THE CLEAR-UP The Scottish charity changing lives in former war zones 16 THE DETECTIVE A curator unearths the story of a lost Egyptian tomb 20 MONKEY BUSINESS A zookeeper and a young Member give their verdict on the primates exhibition
THE HALO TRUST
OUR MUSEUMS
1 3 2
1 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND Chambers Street Edinburgh EH1 1JF Open daily
1 NATIONAL MUSEUMS COLLECTION CENTRE Granton Edinburgh EH5 1JA Visits by appointment
1 NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM Edinburgh Castle Edinburgh EH1 2NG Open daily
2 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RURAL LIFE Wester Kittochside Philipshill Road East Kilbride G76 9HR Open daily
3 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF FLIGHT East ort ne irfiel East Lothian EH39 5LF Open daily April to October Open weekends November to March
Call 0300 123 6789 Visit www.nms.ac.uk
National Museums Collection Centre
WWW.NMS.AC.UK // SPRING 2017 // EXPLORER 3
SPRING 2017
Welcome Museums begin final phase of masterplan
N
ational Museums Scotland had a landmark year in 2016. We celebrated the 150th anniversary of the original National Museum of Scotland building by launching ten new galleries and creating a public piazza in front of the Victorian site. We also unveiled the restoration of two Second World War hangars at the National Museum of Flight, together with new displays. Both projects received widespread critical acclaim and have dramatically improved the presentation of our collections in these areas. Work has begun at the National Museum of Scotland on two galleries, showcasing the Far East and Ancient Egypt, to open in 2018-19. This is the final phase of our 15-year masterplan for the transformation of this site. We will update Explorer readers as this work continues. More immediately, our programme for 2017 incorporates a step change in some of our activities. As well as major exhibitions such as Monkey Business and Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites, the opportunity to see
some of the National Collections beyond our walls will be greatly expanded. A new touring exhibition programme will be on offer across Scotland, covering diverse subjects from the fossils of our earliest land-dwelling ancestors to treasures of the Jacobites, Celts and Picts. We aim to expand this programme in the UK and internationally over the coming years. Explorer readers will know the crucial role the National Museums Collection Centre plays in underpinning our work. Virtually all of the national collection is stored at the centre, a vibrant hub for research, innovation, interdisciplinary study and specialist training, providing access to material and knowledge for researchers from around the world. Construction work is under way on an extension to the building where many of our analytical and conservation facilities are based. This is an important next step for the ongoing development and improvement of the centre as a research facility. We also intend to further enhance public access to the centre through a range of targeted opportunities.
Both projects received widespread critical acclaim
DR GORDON RINTOUL CBE Director of National Museums Scotland 4 EXPLORER / JANUARY 2017 // WWW.NMS.AC.UK
The display will highlight the global reach of Scotland's pottery industry
SNAPSHOT
Potted history A forgotten part of the nation's industrial past is to be celebrated, says Adrienne Hynes, Assistant Curator of Scottish Late Modern Collections The pottery industry is a somewhat lesser-known aspect of Scotland’s industrial heritage. The display Scottish Pottery: Art and Innovation will highlight the global reach of an industry that exported to south-east Asia, north America and beyond. Wemyss Ware is arguably some of Scotland’s most sought-after pottery. The brainchild of Fife pottery owner Robert Heron and skilled Czech painter Karel Nekola, it was originally created in Kirkcaldy between 1882 and 1928. It was sold to Bovey Pottery in Devon, where it was produced for almost 30 years before pottery owner Griselda Hill purchased the trademark in 1985 and returned it to Fife. It is renowned for its use of vivid colours and handpainted embellishments of flowers, fruits and animals. The bulk of the museum's collection of Wemyss Ware was acquired in the 1990s from Professor Peter Davis, a botanist with a passion for the brand. The display boasts a wide range of stunning pottery including two heart-shaped plaques that once belonged to the family of Wemyss Castle, and an Alloa Pottery teapot donated to the museum in 1872.
Adrienne Hynes prepares Wemyss Ware pottery for display
MORE INFORMATION Scottish Pottery: Art and Innovation is at the National Museum of Scotland, 3 February–25 June 2017 WWW.NMS.AC.UK // SPRING 2017 // EXPLORER 5
SPRING 2017
Notebook
Collection science can provide valuable clues about when and where objects were made
Conservator Vicen Carriรณ cleans mammoth tusks 6 EXPLORER // SPRING 2017 // WWW.NMS.AC.UK
Research and conservation given new space to flourish ational
se ms ollection entre to benefit from
m investment
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utting-edge research and conservation work will be given space to flourish when a £3.5m extension at the National Museums Collection Centre opens in autumn 2017. The 1,000m² extension at the Centre in Granton, Edinburgh, will provide world-class facilities for collection science and the conservation of objects and specimens from motorbikes to butterflies. Heather Caven, Head of Collections Services at National Museums Scotland, said: “National Museums Scotland cares for more than 12 million collection items. The collections continue to be developed by our curatorial teams, with new acquisitions made every year helped by the generosity of donors, patrons and funders.” Among the first major projects to be tackled will be preparing artefacts for display in the new ancient Egypt and East Asia galleries, due to open at the National Museum of Scotland in 2019.
FACT FILE: THE COLLECTION CENTRE 1 More than 12 million objects, including two million insects are care for by National Museums Scotland. 2 The Collection Centre is home to many ob ects an specimens not c rrently on isplay b t accessible for research purposes. Curatorial Assistant Ashleigh Whiffin works with parasitoid wasps
Heather said: “Examples of the outstanding collections that will be displayed in the new galleries include the Qurna burial, the only intact royal burial group outside Egypt; and a statue dedicated to King Snefru, who built the first true pyramid. Visitors can also look forward to a bodhisattva in gilt bronze from 15th–17th century China, and a rotating selection from the group of 4,000 Japanese woodblock prints owned by the museum." Painstaking research and conservation work will help curators tell the stories behind the objects in their care.
“Collection science includes the analysis of what objects are made of and how they are made,” said Heather. “This information can help us understand the history of objects and valuable clues about when and where they were made. “It also considers the impact of environmental factors, such as light and pollutants, and helps us understand how to preserve and conserve collections for us to enjoy, today and in the future.”
MORE INFORMATION Visit www.nms.ac.uk/ collectioncentre
Curatorial teams continue to develop the collections, with acquisitions made possible by the s pport of onors patrons an f n ers 4 Putting object records online means more people can access the collections. ore than ob ects an specimens can be fo n at www.nms.ac.uk/explore
onthly behin the scenes to rs of the Collection Centre are planne from ebr ary or more information visit www.nms.ac.uk
MUSEUM VOICES
Up close and personal il life filmma er or on chanan on an en ring connection ith primates
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’ve been lucky enough to spend time with chimpanzees and gorillas, and I’ve seen orangutans in the wild. Undoubtedly, when you look into the eyes of primates, there’s something familiar. You make that connection with a primate and they recognise the same things we do. It’s not lost on them that these weird, naked, skinny apes are similar to them. I’ve been close enough to gorillas in the forest to feel their breath. A big silverback charged me in the Democratic Republic of the Congo last year. Gorillas are impressive creatures. They fall short of their reputation as a sort of King Kong, but when you’re close to them – especially when one is enraged or wants to put you back in your box – they can be incredibly intimidating. Monkey Business at the National Museum of Scotland sounds amazing. Getting up close and personal with the specimens exhibited is a fantastic way to contemplate some of the planet’s most extraordinary creatures. Primates have become poster boys of conservation, perhaps because we think we can understand them. But they are big, potentially dangerous animals, so respect is something that goes a long way. Sadly, a respect for nature is often lacking. My most recent work has involved spending time with an elephant herd in Kenya, and with animals that have adapted to snow and ice. Coming up, I have a trip to the Solomon Islands to film sharks, and then we’re doing another series on tribes that have close relationships with predators.
MORE INFORMATION Monkey Business is at the ational se m of cotlan ntil pril he e hibition is s pporte by players of eople s ostco e ottery
or on chanan is the a ar inning cameraman an presenter behin series Gorilla Family and Me
Treasures to be shared ollaboration at the heart of ne strategy
M
hen yo re close to gorillas they can be incre ibly intimi ating
Gorillas: 8 EXPLORER // SPRING 2017 // WWW.NMS.AC.UK
‘respect’
ore people will see important objects from National Museums Scotland collections following the launch of an action plan focused on collaboration. The organisation will build on its long record of loaning key artefacts from a collection of 12 million objects, collaborating on important touring exhibitions, and providing advice and training to other museums. The plan, Across Scotland: National Strategy 2016–2020, was launched at an event attended by Fiona Hyslop,
Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, as well as UK culture and heritage professionals. Jilly Burns, Head of National and International Partnerships, said: “The strategy builds on the successful programmes National Museums Scotland already offers across the country through our various loans, advice, training, learning and community engagement activities. “Our aspiration is to engage and inspire people across Scotland by sharing our expertise, collections and
NOTEBOOK
Louise Donnelly, centre, at one of the award-winning Museum Socials
Recognition for dementia social events Next of Kin featured images including this one of inmates at Beeskow Camp, Germany
A Jacobite backsword with a decorated silver basket hilt
their stories for the widest benefit.” Collaborative work includes Next of Kin, which commemorated the centenary of the First World War, and Gifts for a Jacobite Prince, touring to Perth and Inverness in advance of Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites, a major
exhibition opening at the National Museum of Scotland on 23 June 2017.
MORE INFORMATION Gifts for a Jacobite Prince is at erth e m an rt allery ntil ebr ary an nverness se m an rt allery arch ay isit nms ac national international
ol nteer g i e receives
arsh r st
ar
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un social events that Rachel Drury on the events, welcome people with which involve guided tours, dementia to the activities inspired by the National Museum of Scotland collections and, most and other cultural hubs have importantly, tea and cake. been recognised at an awards The themed events have ceremony in London. included sessions on Mary Volunteer Guide Louise Queen of Scots, Ice Age Donnelly accepted a Scottish mammals and Bonnie award from the Marsh Trust Prince Charlie. for the team behind Museum Louise said: “The Socials, a series of monthly Museum Socials offer an events for people affected by opportunity for socialising dementia, and their family, – for relaxing, and feeling friends and supporters. at home in the museum. The project – a The initiative makes the collaboration with the museum as welcoming and National Galleries of as friendly for people Scotland, the National with dementia as it is Library of Scotland for the other visitors.” and the Royal Botanic Future Museum Gardens Edinburgh Socials will celebrate – opens up a world the national bard of culture to Rabbie Burns, people living the rise of with dementia, photography a common and the impact condition that of science. affects memory XXXXXX MORE and mental agility. Louise with INFORMATION Louise works her Marsh isit nms ac alongside Enablers Trust award m se msocials Fiona Johnston and
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POSTCARD FROM …
Beijing Nick Fraser discovers monsters on trips to China THE WRITER
Nick Fraser is Keeper of Natural Sciences
Reptiles with a hammershaped head look like William Heath Robinson cartoons
A fossil of the long-necked Dinocephalosaurus, from the Triassic period 10 EXPLORER // SPRING 2017 // WWW.NMS.AC.UK
Spring into action
This year visitors can enjoy a packed calendar of activities at the National Museum of Rural Life. Highlights include Easter weekend events on 15–17 April and the Heavy Horse Show on 16 July. And at the National Museum of Flight don’t miss Wartime Experience on 7 May and Scotland’s National Airshow on 22 July. Members receive free or discounted entry to these events.
Museum welcomes festival Annual celebration of science returns to venue
T
he National Museum of Scotland will again be a key venue and programming partner for the Edinburgh International Science Festival. The event will return to the museum in April for the first time since the venue launched 10 new galleries – and in the final weeks of the showstopper exhibition Monkey Business. Claire Allan, Learning Manager, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to bring science to life for audiences of all ages
through hands-on activities, shows, talks and workshops.
MORE INFORMATION The Edinburgh International Science Festival runs from 1–16 April 2017. Visit www.nms.ac.uk/ sciencefestival from mid-February to find out more Bringing science to life
RUTH ARMSTRONG PHOTOGRAPHY
I
was in the foyer of the small hotel where I was staying on the outskirts of Beijing. In front of me, motionless in a large, open urn, was an 80cm-long giant salamander. As I contemplated this remarkable amphibian, for an instant it took me back more than 230 million years in time. As impressive as the Great Wall or the Terracotta Army are, for me the fossils of China are equally great treasures. The famous feathered dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Liaoning Province are well known to many a schoolchild, but the much less familiar Triassic marine sea monsters coming to light in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces are in some respects even more remarkable. Reptiles with a hammer-shaped head, or sporting a neck longer than the rest of their body and tail combined, look like contraptions in the cartoons of William Heath Robinson. Since 2005 I have been making regular research trips to China at the invitation of Professor Li Chun of the Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropology in Beijing. Each time I visit I am introduced to fossils that invariably overshadow those from the previous trip. My most recent visit, in September 2016, was no exception. Prof Li has a knack for finding the most extraordinary fossils. Together with Olivier Rieppel of the Field Museum, Chicago, we are piecing together an unexpected picture of life in the oceans at the dawn of the age of dinosaurs.
NOTEBOOK
Screamin’ Whisper play at the museum
Young visitors party with the past
The Young Demonstrators
Budding events organisers host a night to remember
M
ore than 200 young people enjoyed a special event at the National Museum of Scotland thanks to a team of organisers aged between 14 and 22. The museum resonated with the sounds of Party with the Past, designed to encourage young people to visit the venue. The event, coordinated by the
Young Demonstrators, featured four bands, a busking stage, a silent disco and a scavenger hunt. Organiser Elle Bain, 20, said: “I feel so proud that the Young Demonstrators have given young people the opportunity to see the museum after dark. Planning the event was challenging but when it all came together we felt amazing.”
The Young Demonstrators last year commissioned an artist to help visitors create a Dolly the sheep comic strip. Their next project is to create a tour highlighting objects of special interest to young people. MORE INFORMATION Visit www.nms.ac.uk/ youngdemonstrators
Sleepover success Visitors celebrate 150th anniversary in pyjamas
CHRIS SCOTT; NEIL HANNA
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sleepover for family visitors marked the 150th anniversary of the National Museum of Scotland building. One hundred and fifty people enjoyed an activitypacked evening before lights out in the Grand Gallery at the historic museum on Chambers Street, Edinburgh. Ali Rae, Learning Officer at National Museums Scotland, said: “Welcomed
by our charismatic Victorian hosts, visitors joined the learning team for activities including T-shirt design and print, a time-travel treasure hunt and science demos. Later, there were stories on the magic carpet and everyone got snuggled in their sleeping bags. “The Millennium Clock was used to rouse our guests for Victorian Zumba before breakfast.”
Children enjoyed bedtime stories at the Museum Sleepover
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A stitch in time Conserving a jacket associated with Bonnie Prince Charlie is a talking point, fin s onathan c ntosh
I
t can be fun seeing the reaction of friends when you tell them you conserved a coat associated with Prince Charles Edward Stuart. “It’s surreal to think I’ve worked so closely with an item linked to one of the nation’s most recognisable historical figures,” says Danielle Connolly, the Assistant Textile Conservator at National Museums Scotland. The 18th century short frock coat is one of the key objects being prepared by Danielle and her colleagues for Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites, a major exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland from 23 June. The exhibition will cover a turbulent period, from the first Jacobite challenge in 1689 to the death of Prince Henry Benedict, brother of Bonnie Prince Charlie, in 1807. It will challenge assumptions about the Jacobite campaign to claim the British throne. The jacket, donated to the museum in 1979, once belonged to a prominent Jacobite family. It was in desperate need of attention when Danielle began conserving the garment. “The jacket was soiled, dusty and a bit sad looking when we
first received it,” she says. “The silk velvet was worn, areas of fabric had been cut off and the buttons were missing, so it needed a lot of work. “It’s crucial any conservation work we do doesn’t compromise the shape or appearance of the original garment.” Danielle examined the coat in detail before opting for a cleaning technique using a conservation chemical and water. “I tested the velvet, the wool, the metal thread in the button holes and the colours in the tartan to ensure that none of the dyes would bleed,” she says. “Helping preserve these textiles for future generations has been brilliant. I’m certain visitors will be thrilled by the exhibition.”
MORE INFORMATION You can see the results of Danielle’s work on the frock coat in the exhibition Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites, kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford Investment Managers. Visit www.nms.ac.uk/ jacobites THE EXPERT
12 EXPLORER / SPRING 2017 // WWW.NMS.AC.UK
Danielle Connolly is Assistant Textile Conservator at National Museums Scotland
INSIDE STORY
Danielle Connolly with a frock coat thought to have belonged to Bonnie Prince Charlie
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EXHIBITION
Clearing up after conflict
D
ressed in body armour, Princess Diana walked through a minefield in Angola, frozen in an image that crossed borders and resonated across cultures. Her actions were to highlight the work of landmine clearance being undertaken by The HALO Trust in the wake of the country’s bitter civil war. Although only a few hundred metres from the central square in the town of Huambo, it was clear that this muddy track was a no-go area. Twenty years on, this same road, now mine-free, is a thriving artery, with homes, a secondary school and a college. It is a testament to the restorative benefits of the charity’s work. Over the past two decades, HALO – Hazardous Area Life-Support Organisation – has cleared 92,000 mines from Angola, but 630 minefields, mostly in poor rural areas, have yet to be tackled. Safer Steps: The Work of The HALO Trust – an exhibition at the National War Museum from 16 March 2017 – will highlight the ongoing task in areas that tend to drop off the international radar once they have been politically stabilised.
The HALO Trust was founded in 1988 and initially set to work clearing minefields left after wars in Afghanistan and Cambodia. It has grown to become Scotland’s largest NGO (non-governmental organisation), employing 6,000 people in 20 countries and territories from its head office – a converted stable near Thornhill in Dumfries and Galloway. Many of those jobs involve people from the affected communities. “Landmine clearance is painstaking and labour intensive,” says Paul McCann, HALO’s Head of Communications. “You can use machinery for some things, but you mainly hire a lot of people. You are providing jobs that give people self-respect. In Colombia, we’ve been hiring former members of the FARC guerrilla group. In Afghanistan, we have employees who used to be in the Taliban. By giving them a wage and a job that involves discipline, you are withdrawing potential combatants from further activity. “There’s a bonus not just in the fundamental work of taking away landmines, but also the peace-building part of it. Once you clear the landmines, you put a community back on the map, A HALO officer tackles a live Soviet aircraft bomb in Kabul Province, Afghanistan, 2007
An amputee with her grandchildren in Cambodia
14 EXPLORER // SPRING 2017 // WWW.NMS.AC.UK
because the government census people can visit or the road builders can go in. The transformation can be really quick. Crops can be grown quite quickly; schools can open.” The Ottawa Treaty of 1997 banned the use, stockpiling and manufacture of landmines in international law, and a subsequent target was set for a landminefree world by 2025. It is an ambitious timeline, but HALO can point to Mozambique becoming landmine free last year as encouragement. Government-manufactured mines have, though, been largely replaced by improvised explosive devices (IEDs),
Young boys are victims of cluster bombs because they’re collecting stuff to sell for scrap-metal value
GETTY IMAGES; MARTA KARPIEL; THE HALO TRUST
The National War Museum is to explore the work of a charity making former war zones safer, says Fiona Shepherd
EXHIBITION
Sasikala Kalaichelvan and family
BATTLE FOR A FUTURE A mother’s story
Princess PrincessDiana Diana visits visitsaaminefield minefield ininAngola, Angola,1997 1997
especially in the Middle East. So, while the meticulous work of clearing minefields continues, the emphasis will gradually shift to clearing the debris of war, such as unexploded grenades and cluster munitions, which often catch the eye of children. “Because of conflict, poverty is a real issue and children are collecting scrap,” says McCann. “Bomblets from cluster bombs are small, round and shiny. Young boys are the majority of victims of cluster bombs because they’re collecting stuff to sell for their scrap-metal value.” Illustrating the risk is a recent HALO photograph of children playing in the streets of Kobani in Aleppo Governorate, where the charity works remotely with Syrian NGOs. “The exhibition in March will help remind people this problem hasn’t gone away and, if we are to meet our target of being landmine free by 2025, there is much work to be done,” says McCann. Maureen Barrie, Exhibitions Officer at
An amputee with her grandchildren in Cambodia
National Museums Scotland, adds, “Once a conflict is over it is easy to assume life goes back to normal, but the legacy of war continues to devastate the lives of ordinary people. The HALO Trust highlights their plight, and helps them reclaim their lives and land.”
MORE INFORMATION Safer Steps: The Work of The HALO Trust is at the National War Museum, 16 March 2017–March 2018. Members receive 10% off entry to Edinburgh Castle
Sasikala Kalaichelvan was widowed during the Sri Lankan civil war and lost a leg to a mine. She and her two children returned home in 2010 to find their land had been mined. By 2013, the area had been cleared. “At first, we could only walk as far as the public well. We encountered problems when we went to collect firewood. So all we wanted is for HALO to remove the mines,” she says. “It doesn’t matter about me losing my limbs because I am older and have lived my life, but if a child met with the same accident, it would be a disaster. My children should have a decent life. So with all my effort, I’m cultivating this land with water from the well. “The past is the past. There is no point in looking back. Now we have to take care of the future of our children.”
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THE TOMB
The detective The mystery of a lost ancient Egyptian tomb is being unravelled by Margaret Maitland, writes Jackie McGlone
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THE TOMB
Statuette of a jackal in wood, thought to be from the lid of a coffin, excavated from the tomb at Thebes
A
Senior Curator Margaret Maitland with the mummy mask of Montsuef, dated c. 9BC
chief of police, ten princesses and a high official from a Roman-era Egyptian family are all helping Dr Margaret Maitland with her enquiries. The Senior Curator of the Ancient Mediterranean collections at National Museums Scotland is the ‘detective’ behind a search for clues into the mysterious affair of ‘The Tomb’. It is a story that has been buried beneath the shifting sands of Egypt for thousands of years, and one worthy of Agatha Christie, with her penchant for tales of archaeological digs, looted tombs and strange deaths on the Nile. As Margaret cracks the secrets of 1,000 years of burial in ancient Egypt, her focus is one extraordinary tomb that has been used, robbed, reused, excavated and then lost. Now, it is to be the subject of an exhibition, The Tomb: Ancient Egyptian Burial, at the National Museum of Scotland from 31 March. Carved into the desert cliffs opposite the city of Thebes in modern Luxor, the tomb was built in around 1290BC, reused for more than 1,000 years and sealed in the early first century AD. Unopened for almost 2,000 years, it was excavated in 1857, before its location was lost. Margaret has set out to rediscover the tomb through precious objects held in the collections of National Museums Scotland. These range from a statue depicting a chief of police and his wife; wooden labels from the mummies of ten princesses, the daughters of Pharaoh Thutmose IV; and a gilded funerary wreath for a Roman-era Egyptian official. The tomb was originally constructed shortly after the reign of Tutankhamun
for the Chief of Police and his spouse. “The sheer wealth at that time was staggering,” explains Margaret. “The highest officials were building these tombs, and our tomb was built for a man who would have been in charge of law and order in the capital, guarding the Valley of the Kings. We have a beautiful statue depicting him and his wife in an affectionate pose with their arms around each other. Unfortunately, we don’t know his name, as it has been damaged, but we have enough to know that he was Chief of Police. “He built an immense tomb. It consists of a tunnel carved 38 metres into the rock with a burial shaft sunk six metres deep. The amount of engineering that went into this is stunning. The construction would have been extremely costly, although he did save by making use of an existing square courtyard cut into the cliff face for King Thutmose IV’s daughters.” The burial of the princesses was relatively modest, hence the wooden labels, which are name tags. The Egyptians believed the preservation of the name was essential to survival in the afterlife. In contrast is an exquisite gilded ebony and ivory box of King Amenhotep II, which Margaret says was probably found in the tomb. This beautiful work of art
The sheer wealth at that time was staggering. The highest officials were building these tombs WWW.NMS.AC.UK // SPRING 2017 // EXPLORER 17
THE TOMB reused and recycled. All we have that and its breathtaking craftsmanship hints remains of the original tomb’s owners is at the extent of royal wealth and power in the rather lovely statue of himself and Egypt’s golden age. his wife in their finery.” “Fragments of this box – acquired with Under a divided and occupied assistance of the Art Fund and National Egypt (c. 1000–660BC), many Museums Scotland Charitable tombs were repeatedly Trust – are helping us to looted. Margaret describes reinterpret its original the remaining contents decoration, which as “a jumbled evokes the royal collection of palace,” says beautiful objects”. Margaret. She holds Others came in the object up to the and reused the tomb, light so it shines. as suggested by “Ironically, Margaret’s research. although the Chief of She has studied many Police was in charge fragments of artefacts of security for the royal from the tomb, enabling tombs, his tomb did not her to work out how some escape looting, because the The decorative box of King larger funerary objects wealth diminished in Amenhotep II and a fragment might have looked. Egypt after it had lost “We have been able to reconstruct the control of its empire. It no longer had the tomb itself because we have in our ability to make these grand tombs and fill collection archival plans and notes of its them with objects, so tomb robbery excavation,” she says. “We will celebrate became quite common, and tombs were
its 160th anniversary this year. Since the objects excavated in the tomb were among the earliest to enter the collection, any connection between some of the more fragmentary items and the tomb was lost. So I have been going through them and re-identifying their association with the tomb. “It’s exciting to make these finds and, yes, it is just like being a detective. For instance, we have the remains of some little guardian figures that would have been attached to the lid of a coffin. Just by having those, we can tell the type of coffin that would have been in the tomb. “We can also track significant changes in mummification practices through these objects – for example, in this period, internal organs were returned to the body rather than being kept in separate canopic jars. Several of these jars found in the tomb are dummy vessels, not hollowed out, but created for tradition’s sake alone. It’s fascinating to see all these changes in burial practices in just in one single tomb.”
DISCOVER THE LOWER MUMMY CHAMBERS OF THE THEBES TOMB OBJECTS FROM THE SARCOPHAGUS OF MONTSUEF
The coffin of Calisiris, father of Tanuat
Mummy mask Gilded wreath
Inscribed mummy bandage
Funerary papyrus
Doum palm nuts Mummified young woman, name unknown
Funerary papyrus of Tanuat, wife of Montsuef
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THE TOMB The tomb was last reused around 9BC by a Roman-era Egyptian family. The high official Montsuef, his wife Tanuat – “we know that she died just a month after him, which is very touching” – his father-in-law Calisiris, their son, daughter and several other family members all lived through the reign of Cleopatra, Egypt’s last pharaoh. The family witnessed Egypt’s conquest by the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, seeing some of the final stages of pharaonic history – the beginning of the end of ancient Egypt. Margaret says: “The objects that relate to them show they were trying to hold on to some of the traditions, sometimes to reinvent them and make them even more ancient and magical, while bringing in classical influences from outside. We have one of their wooden coffins, a mummified young woman, a gold mask and a wreath, among other items. Their burials combine imported Hellenistic influences, such as the gilded wreath symbolising victory – over death in this case – along with revived and reinvented ancient traditions. They are reasserting their Egyptian identity in a rapidly changing world.” She continues: “We also have the funerary papyri they were buried with. They are personalised, with birth and death dates, and little bits about their lives and how much they were admired and respected – part of the argument as to why they deserved to get into the afterlife.” Finally, the tomb was sealed and remained unopened until its excavation in 1857. Its location was subsequently lost after a modern village grew up over it. But, as Margaret stresses, the beauty of the objects and the many finds made over the years – as well as the sheer drama of the story behind the tomb – will long inspire the imagination. “While the tomb remains surrounded by mystery, there is surely much more to discover and its story will continue,” she promises.
THE EVOLUTION OF A TOMB c. 1380BC A tomb is built at Thebes for ten princesses – daughters of King Thutmose IV
c. 1290BC An immense tomb is built for the Chief of Police and his wife at the height of the Egyptian empire
A wooden label for the mummy of a princess
A statue depicting the Chief of Police and his wife
Slab showing Takai and the god Ra-Horakhty
c. 700BC The tomb is reused during a period of Nubian rule over Egypt
c. 800BC The main tomb is reused during a period of political division, including by a priest named Sennu and a woman called Takai
Falcon guardian figure, from the lid of a coffin
AD1857 The tomb is rediscovered and excavated
MORE INFORMATION The Tomb: Ancient Egyptian Burial is at the National Museum of Scotland, 31 March–3 September 2017. Visit www.nms.ac.uk/thetomb Exhibition sponsored by
9BC The tomb is reused by local high official Montsuef and his family shortly after the Roman conquest of Egypt
A gilded funerary wreath The site of the Theban tomb, 1857
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EXHIBITION
Monkeying around
With the primates taking over the museum, three guest reviewers give their verdict on a family-orientated exhibition WORDS: BRIAN DONALDSON PHOTOGRAPHS: PHIL WILKINSON
A
fter years of rigorous research and collection, followed by detailed installation, the exhibition Monkey Business is now in full swing at the National Museum of Scotland. Featuring more than 60 taxidermy specimens and an array of interactive displays, this is the most comprehensive exhibition on primates ever staged. You can discover the primate family tree, see the world through the eyes of different species – find out which one can’t see the colour red – and fish for termites like a chimpanzee. As well as the sights of lemurs and lorises, macaques and mandrills, what strikes you most is the variety – and volume – of primate sounds filling the exhibition space. While the exhibition soundtrack constantly evokes the rattle and hum of a primate-filled setting, the explosions of sound when some bigger animals let rip is impressive.
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Primate facts Discover a world of mammals not so far removed from ourselves in the exhibition Monkey Business Macaques, such as this lion-tailed species, are sociable and tend to live in groups of 10 to 20 Male mandrills communicate visually with brightly coloured faces ... and bottoms Chimpanzees, our closest relatives in the primate world, use sticks as tools for sourcing food
The evening before Monkey Business opens to the public, a team of guest reviewers are invited to visit the exhibition. Jo Elliott is Animal Collection Manager at Edinburgh Zoo, while friends Rocky Williams and Hannah Farquharson are S3 pupils at Broughton High School.
The verdict The reviewers’ reactions vary from excitement to awe. The interactive displays attract Rocky, 14, and Hannah, 15, while Jo is hugely taken by the diversity of primates on show and the detail that brings these specimens to life. Minutes into the visit, Rocky needs no second invitation to show off his swinging and gripping skills on the climbing frame. He and Hannah take each other on at least twice in the fishing for termites interactive game. “I like to see how monkeys are adapting and using tools,” says Rocky. “People associate monkeys with trees and swinging around, so it’s good to see them
Rocky and Hannah discover an interactive display
Rocky gets in the swing
Jo has a reflective moment during a tour of Monkey Business
The critically endangered western lowland gorilla
in different habitats.” What does he take away from the exhibition? “I’ve learned that bush babies and tarsiers are different things: I thought they were the same. The bush baby can jump 2.25 metres from the ground. That’s amazing.” Hannah, meanwhile, is captivated by the emperor tamarins. “I like the fact they’ve got lots of babies on their back, but I really like the moustache.” Both are particularly affected by parts of the exhibition dedicated to endangered primates and the attempts at conservation. “One thing the exhibition has taught me is that a lot of the deforestation is for palm oil which is in things like biscuits,” says Rocky. “I’m going to buy as little palm oil in the future as I can.” Jo, who has A ring-tailed worked at lemur
Jo plays fishing for termites
People associate monkeys with trees and swinging around, so it’s also good to see them on the ground Edinburgh Zoo for more than 16 years, has seen many of the primates featured in Monkey Business close at hand. She praises several aspects of the exhibition. “It’s much more immersive than I was expecting,” she says. “It’s really fantastic. They’ve gone for a very modern look with the way the animals have been displayed, and they’ve captured the body language and posture of these animals really well.” Remarking on the exhibition’s structure and layout, Jo says: “I found it interesting that while the zoo is themed by biogeography, the museum has a more functional, science-based display. Here, we have a capuchin from South America,
a chimpanzee from Africa and a mouse lemur from Madagascar, all a few feet from each other. That’s a really interesting contrast.” Jo is delighted to see one particular primate: the northern giant mouse lemur, “purely because I have never seen one and it is always exciting to see something new”. She adds: “It’s also unlikely that I or most other people in the world will ever see one. There are none in zoos that I know of and they are endangered on their home island of Madagascar.” Would she say this is her pick of the exhibition? “It’s very difficult to choose a favourite, but I’ll go with that one, yes. Just don’t tell the other primates.”
MORE INFORMATION Monkey Business is at the National Museum of Scotland until 23 April 2017. The exhibition is free for Members WWW.NMS.AC.UK // SPRING 2017 // EXPLORER 21
OBJECT OF DESIRE
FACT FILE WHAT IS IT? he E inb rgh o lar rm ystem E b t yo can call it the orl s first bionic arm t cost to evelop an man fact re in the s WHO MADE IT? ioengineer avi o E an his rosthetics esearch an evelopment team at the former rincess argaret ose rthopae ic ospital E inb rgh o also invented the first commercial bionic han ith five in ivi ally po ere fingers WHY IS IT SO SPECIAL? t as the first artificial arm to integrate an electrically po ere sho l er an as fitte to ampbell ir an E inb rgh hotelier ho ha lost his arm to cancer ir referre to himself as part man part machine all cottish
Prosthetics pioneer David Gow
The key to the invention is the powered thumb and digits. You can put them together any way you like to make a left or right hand – that was the driving force in the research. We knew we could do the hand, wrist and elbow. The challenge was the shoulder, but, in reality, the shoulder is just an enlarged digit. We hoped we could take the bionic arm to the next development level, but the
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world of bionics is expensive and there was no commercial interest in manufacturing the shoulder. Thankfully there are not so many people with whole shoulders missing. The reason there isn’t a bionic shoulder today is no one could afford to buy them even if they could make them. It’s frustrating because you see the hand being developed but not the arm. I’m retired now but you think of your work as ongoing. I hope someone will come along and develop the next bionic arm for the commercial market.
MORE INFORMATION isit nms ac emas
The first bionic arm was fitted in 1998
E
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he first bionic arm dates from late August 1998. Before then, there were various arm devices, but nothing with a powered shoulder, which was the key thing. We fitted the arm to Campbell Aird at the Princess Margaret Rose Orthopaedic Hospital in Edinburgh, and the rest is history. I had no idea how long the arm would last. The components themselves are pretty strong, but I knew Campbell – a hotelier who had lost his own arm to cancer – would use it every day. We expected him to keep the arm in his life by being responsive to repairs, but that wasn’t really required. If a bit came off, he would tape it up.
WHERE CAN YOU SEE IT? In Technology by Design on Level 3 of the National se m of cotlan
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Edinburgh Modular Arm System (EMAS)
THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE SUPPORTERS SPONSORS
Membership Online Membership renewal now live
CORPORATE MEMBERS
Dolly the sheep is a star of the new galleries
Win a champagne afternoon tea for two
As a Member of National Museums Scotland you can now renew your Membership online – allowing you to enjoy free entry to our exhibitions and museums, as well as fantastic shop and café discounts. Once you have registered online, you can renew via an annual direct debit, or by credit or debit card. Look out for more information in the renewal letter sent a month before your Membership expires. Don’t forget – you can choose to receive exclusive Member e-bulletins containing exhibition and event news. To sign up, or if you have not been receiving these, email us at membership@nms. ac.uk with your Membership number.
Raise a glass to ten new museum galleries
Support us In donating to National Museums Scotland you will ensure Scotland’s treasures, and the stories they tell, are cherished, and continue to live on and inspire. If you would like to support us please email Margaret Clift McNulty at development@nms.ac.uk or call 0131 247 4095. If you are in the US please email Emily Grand at egrand@ghspm.com National Museums Scotland is a registered charity (SC011130).
We are giving away a champagne afternoon tea for two at the Tower Restaurant to celebrate the launch of ten new galleries at the National Museum of Scotland. The Tower Restaurant, on the top floor of the museum, offers breathtaking views of Edinburgh Castle. The champagne tea, valued at £60, will include open and closed sandwiches, warm savouries, fresh scones and a seasonal selection of home
baking. Choose from a range of leaf teas from the Rare Tea Company and some of the best coffee in town, along with a glass of Billecart-Salmon champagne. HOW TO ENTER Simply email explorercompetition @nms.ac.uk and tell us in a sentence or two what you think of our new galleries. Submitted content may be used for marketing purposes
Renew Membership online
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