Museum strikes gold with new exhibit

Author: Alexxa Gotthardt

Last Thursday, the Middlebury College Museum of Art (MCMA) threw open its doors to reveal an exhibition of dazzling, epic proportions. Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur, traveling from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, presents nearly 200 shimmering vestiges of the legendary Kingdom of Ur. Unearthed from ancient Mesopotamian sands, these artifacts proclaim - with a sure amount of pomp and pageantry - the glory of the world's first civilization and together make up one of the most significant MCMA exhibitions to date.

"Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur is definitely one of the most important, if not the most important exhibition that the Middlebury College Museum of Art has presented," said Curator of Asian Art and in-house curator of the exhibition Colin Mackenzie. Chief Curator of MCMA Emmie Donadio echoed Mackenzie's thoughts, underlining the value of presenting such well-known artifacts at MCMA. "The works are one of a kind and among the earliest artifacts of civilization in the ancient Near East," said Donadio. "[The treasure] contains some of the most remarkable artifacts ever recovered from the earth."

The collection becomes ever-more illustrious when viewing it from an academic standpoint. "Two pieces, the so-called 'Ram Caught in a Thicket' and the 'Great Lyre' are illustrated in many of the standard textbooks on the history of world art," said Mackenzie. Acting Director of MCMA and Professor of Art Glenn Andres also recognized the storied reputation of these artifacts. "It is the first time we've had multiple objects at the same time in the museum that are in all the survey books," said Andres. "We have had individual pieces that appear in the survey books, but this time we've got the whole package."

"It's also great because right now that show has implications for various art history courses and the Religion and Classics departments. In addition, Associate Professor of History of Art and Architecture Pieter Broucke's first year seminar is centered around the show," said Andres. "It's going to have a lot of interaction with the academic circles."

To introduce the exhibition at MCMA and give background on the excavation and importance of such a profound archeological find was Associate Professor of Near East Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania and curator of the exhibition Dr. Richard Zettler. During his lecture preceding the exhibition's opening, Zettler illuminated the discovery of the Royal Tombs of Ur in 1922 by British archeologist Sir Charles Leonard Woolley with stories and witty quips about life in the field featuring eccentric diggers, interminable workdays, shimmering gold and even the appearance of Agatha Christie. It was a discovery, as Zettler described, that, through all its quirks and set backs, "rivaled even that of Tutankhamen's Tomb."

The high caliber of the artifacts becomes clear upon entering the exhibition. It would almost be unsurprising if joyous fanfare, throngs of festooned camels, colorful carts glutted with jewels and exotic Mesopotamian maidens walked the galleries couloirs, for this parade would be fitting accompaniment to the objects found within the exhibition's cases. Elaborate headdresses, pure silver cups, scores of necklaces strung of lapis lazuli, agate and carnelian, studded spears, adorned lyres, even a solid gold beer straw, reveal the traditions, culture and resplendent prosperity of a civilization departed, yet forever important.

The importance of these artifacts, however, transcends pure historical, informational resonance. As unrest in the Middle East intensifies, the region's cultural heritage is constantly threatened. The artifacts included in this exhibition, therefore, become not only a representation of the opulence of a bygone people, but also instruments of cultural conservation.

"We felt it was very important to bring this exhibition to Middlebury at this time, since it illuminates the ancient civilization of a part of the world - Iraq - that currently is in turmoil," said Mackenzie. "People currently think only of the negative aspects of this region, so it is timely to remind them that it was home to what can claim to be the world's earliest civilization."

In consideration of the recent disbandment of the sector of the Iraqi police force which protected archeological sites from robbers, the weight of the treasure heightens. Andres described the fate of the portion of the treasure of Ur belonging to the Baghdad Museum. "A large majority of the Baghdad portion [of the treasure of Ur] is gone thanks to the raiding," said Andres. "That means the portions that are in Philadelphia and London are that much more precious."

Shining with sheer artistic magnificence and a cultural importance of both the past and present, Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur is one show not to be missed. "Any time is appropriate for displaying world-class art of this caliber," said Donadio. "The war reminds us that not all glory is lasting - the Sumerians were succeeded by a series of other civilizations - yet the sheer magnificence of their jewels, musical instruments and other household goods which were buried with them still carry great appeal."

Treasures from the Royal Tombs of Ur runs through December 10 in the Middlebury College Museum of Art.