The Museum of Fine Arts Boston — Egyptian Collection
Museum Overview
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA) was opened in 1876 in Copley Square. It originally housed 5,600 works of art. In 1909 the MFA moved to its current location on Huntington Avenue. The MFA today is home to more than 450,000 works of art. Also established in 1876 was the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum of Fine Arts includes arts of Asia, Oceania and Africa, European and American art, contemporary art, musical instruments, textile and fashion arts, a comprehensive Egyptian collection, French and post-impressionist works, Chinese painting, calligraphy and imperial art and Japanese pottery and a Japanese garden. The building of the MFA was designed by architect, Guy Lowell and the building was commenced in 1907. In mid-2000, the museum underwent major renovations with the addition of a new wing for the arts of the Americas collection and other renovations adding another 28% of space to the MFA.
Plan Your Trip
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston is located at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts. Hotel Rooms near the museum can be found at BostonHotels.org. Cheap Flights to Boston can be booked at CheapFlight.org
It is open seven days a week – Mondays and Tuesdays 10am-4:45pm, Wednesday to Friday 10am-9:45pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10am-4:45pm. Admission is $20 for adults. There are audio guides for $6.
Museum's Egyptian Collection
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston boasts a comprehensive collection of Egyptian art and artifacts. The Egyptian collection is home to more than 45,000 objects, from paintings to sarcophagi, jewelry and sculptures. The Egyptian collection can primarily be found on the second floor in the George D. and Margo Behrakis Wing, with galleries for the Old Kingdom, Egyptian and Nubian period, the New Kingdom and Late period Egyptian. On the first floor can be found the Egyptian funerary arts and mummies galleries.
The Egyptian collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston span from the pre-dynastic period through to the Byzantine era (4000 BC to 500 AD). The museum holds particularly large collections from the time of the Old Kingdom, the age of the pyramids (2599 to 2150 BC), which were collected from excavations done by the museum and Harvard University at Giza. These artifacts include masterpieces of royal sculptures.
The collection of the Middle Kingdom is comprised of the finest painted coffin of the period and non-royal sculptures. The New Kingdom and Late Period collections include royal sculptures and artifacts from the Valley of the Kings. Also comprising part of the New Kingdom collection are coffins and funerary arts that were collected by Robert Hay, the 19th century traveler. There are approximately 5,000 objects attributed to the collection of Hay.
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston has recently released a new interactive tour of Egyptian art. This allows teachers and students the ability to browse Egyptian art with the click of a mouse. The Giza archives are also a fantastic resource with photographs and documentation about the Museum of Fine Arts and Harvard University expedition from 1904 to 1947.
The Museum of Fine Arts Boston also presents temporary exhibitions and these may include themes of Egypt. Currently at the MFA is the exhibition, "The Secrets of Tomb 10A." It explores artifacts from 2000 BC and concepts of the afterlife.
There are many other temporary events and exhibitions such as "Art and Empire: Treasures from Assyria," "Kufic Korans: Calligraphy in the World of Islam," a tour of "Art of Egypt and the Classical World," a three week session "Art History: Uncovering the Art of the Ancient World" and a local performance, "The Rababa: Traditional Fiddle of Egypt." These events and exhibitions change regularly so it is important to keep an eye on the events and exhibition news of the museum.
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