As my ticket for the Terracotta Warriors exhibition wasn’t until late in the afternoon I had plenty of time to explore the other areas of the museum which, unlike the exhibition, has free entry.
One of my favourite sections of the museum was the Egyptian collection, one of the largest in the UK with nearly 20,000 items. It was very well laid out and includes a section of human remains which are organised in such a way that you can avoid seeing them if you wish. The collection came into being after a goldsmith named Joseph Mayer opened his Egyptian Museum in 1852 and then donated his collection in 1867 to what became the World Museum.
One of my favourite pieces in the Egyptian collection, was the Ramesses Girdle. It was discovered in Thebes in 1854-5 and is woven from linen and decorated with rows of ankh signs. Tomb paintings show it would have been worn wrapped around the chest and fastened at the waist.
Other interesting objects included these amulets which were collected by Florence Nightingale when she visited Egypt in 1849-1850, one of the first western women to visit the country.
I wasn’t particularly impressed by the dinosaur collection though it too had some interesting items on display.
And I was surprised to find a small aquarium in the museum.
All the others areas I felt however were far surpassed by the Egyptian collection which I would highly recommend. You can find more photos here.
Louise Jayne's Blog 