King Tut Opens at the Very Accessible de Young

Tutankhamum's Viscera Coffin
photo by Charles Pannell

Tjuya's Funerary Mask
photo by Charles Pannell

I was wowed by the first King Tut exhibition 30 years ago at a very different de Young, but this one was just the icing on the cake.

Since the time of the first exhibition, I've had the opportunity to visit the great pyramids and tour the Valley of the Kings in Egypt; and I even lived in the Middle East for a few years. But still, the new exhibition impressed me. It  includes 80 more objects than the first exhibition; and although it features some stunning artifacts from Tutankhamun's tomb, it also features pieces from the tombs of his ancestors. As John Buchanan, Director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco put it, "King Tut is back. He's bigger. He's certainly older. And this time he's brought his family with him."

Although it's hard to name a favorite piece, I really enjoyed the model boat from the tomb of Amenhotep II and the funerary mask of Tjuya; and was totally wowed by the guilded coffin of Tjuya. And the Tut pieces, including the coffinette for his viscera, a ceremonial dagger and a pectoral in the shape of a falcon were nothing to sneeze at either.

Access is excellent at the new incarnation of the de Young, with level thresholds,  plenty of benches and accessible pathways throughout the galleries. There's also plenty of accessible parking in the adjacent Music Concourse Garage.

And in keeping with the long held tradition of facilitating access to popular exhibitions, the access department of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco has announced the dates and times for their special Access Days. During these days visitors will find additional accessible parking spaces, extra seating in the galleries and seating available in the waiting line. Additionally, during Access Days the number of visitors will be limited to about 20% of those admitted during the general admission times.

Access Days will be held on December 21, 2009 (9 A.M. - 1 P.M.) and on February 27, 2010 (6 P.M. - 8 P.M.). The admission price is the same for access days as for general admission, but advance ticket purchase is required. For more information e-mail tbrown@famsf.org.

So make plans to see this stunning exhibition today. It's definitely one you won't want to miss!