Tutankhamun's wardrobe, Dylan's weather

As I passed by the Bryggen Museum on my to my hairdresser's, I noticed the poster advertising an exhibit of Tutankhamun's wardrobe. So I went in after I got my haircut.

I quickly found out why photography was allowed: The garments were replicas, not the original articles, inspired by what had been found in King Tut's tomb. What I didn't know, was that Egyptian pharaohs wore gloves. There were both ceremonial gloves (top in photo) and protective (bottom).

This garment, which looks like a modern fashion statement, was actually a clever piece of protection. It's one long narrow strip of cloth. Laying it across the shoulders protected those from the sun, and the tight criss-crossing of the ends around the waist functioned as a kidney belt for those jarring rides in horse-drawn chariots.

There were several tunicas on display. Several were gorgeously beaded, producing a three-dimensional effect. The photo shows a tunica for an 8-year-old. Several garments found in the tomb were for a child of that age, and the theory is that these items were buried with Tutankhamum as a way of commemorating the age he became pharaoh.

And here is a royal loin cloth.

Also temporarily exhibiting at the museum was an installation of photos and Bob Dylan lyrics, courtesy of Hard Rain:

Changing minds with a book is difficult, because those who buy it mostly agree with the authors already, but the Hard Rain exhibition of photos and Dylan’s lyric is now touring the planet and will be seen by over 10 million visitors."

The clever bastards. It worked. I saw it, started reading, and started thinking. I read that a pet in an industrialized nation has more rights (and more food) than starving children in Africa do, a perspective (and injustice) I've never thought about. I'd also like to vote for an entirely new system of government, not just a new head of government, because industrialized nations heavily subsidize crops in their own countries, crops that developing nations also grow, thus creating an unfair market for the latter's farmers. Also, pollution is as big a threat to our lives as is global warming, if not greater since pollution causes global warming.

Comments

Sparkling Red said…
Yes, there are so many spoiled pets. There are dogs in my neighbourhood that have designer parkas, doggie daycare, and grooming salons. I know for a fact that lots of kids in this city go hungry daily (let alone in Africa) so that their parents can pay the heating bill in the winter. It's a crazy world.
alice said…
I read that a pet in an industrialized nation has more rights (and more food) than starving children in Africa do, a perspective (and injustice) I've never thought about.

I thought about this very thing as I cooked lamb and potatoes for my sick dog a few days ago...
Keera Ann Fox said…
I am a bit torn, because closeness to animals is healthy, but perhaps trying to be a bit more green and less focused on the material where pets are concerned can help. My cat certainly didn't play more with expensive toys than she did used bottle corks.

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