PROSPECT HEIGHTS— The Brooklyn Museum has unveiled one of the world’s rarest treasures: a 21-foot, complete and gilded Book of the Dead (305–30 B.C.E.) — the finest surviving example of its kind.
The manuscript required three years of conservation and restoration before its unveiling at the Brooklyn Museum. “Unrolling Eternity: The Brooklyn Books of the Dead” illuminates both ancient burial rites and the artistic prowess behind a rare masterpiece, as well as the cutting-edge techniques used to preserve it.
“Gilded papyri are incredibly rare. Having one that is complete and of Memphite origin makes it even more extraordinary,” said Yekaterina Barbash, curator of Egyptian, Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Art. “Very few scholars in the field of Book of the Dead studies have had the pleasure of seeing even a fragmentary gilded manuscript. We’re so excited to bring this complete masterpiece to Brooklyn Museum audiences.”
The restoration of this papyrus, led by conservation specialist Ahmed Tarek and Museum conservators Lisa Bruno, Sara Bone and Josephine Jenks, represents a major technical and scholarly achievement.