Unrolling Eternity: The Brooklyn Books of the Dead
For the first time ever, lay eyes on one of the only complete and gilded Books of the Dead—the world’s finest existing copy. The Brooklyn Museum’s conservation team spent three years carefully restoring this 21-foot papyrus, which now debuts in a special Spotlight within our refreshed gallery dedicated to ancient Egyptian funerary practices. Filled with gleaming vignettes, the scroll appears alongside one of the earliest Books of the Dead and fascinating artifacts, such as gold amulets and reed pens. Unrolling Eternity illuminates both ancient burial rites and the artistic prowess behind a rare masterpiece, as well as the cutting-edge techniques used to preserve it.
In ancient Egypt, Books of the Dead guided the deceased through the underworld, each one personalized with spells for a particular individual. The gilded manuscript, dating between 340 and 57 B.C.E., holds nearly all 162 spells known from the longest versions. Unlike most surviving examples, it includes blank opening and closing pages that confirm its completeness. Conservation and curatorial efforts have also revealed its original owner—Ankhmerwer, son of Taneferher (“the one beautiful of face”)—offering an extraordinary connection to a person who lived more than two millennia ago.
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Unrolling Eternity: The Brooklyn Books of the Dead is organized by Yekaterina Barbash, Curator, with Morgan Moroney, Assistant Curator, and Kathy Zurek-Doule, Curatorial Associate, Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Near Eastern Art.
Funding for the conservation of the illustrated Book of the Dead was generously provided through a grant from the Bank of America Art Conservation Project.
Museum Spotlights are intimate installations of noteworthy collection works, recent acquisitions, and loans, presented to encourage deeper conversations about art, history, and justice.