MUMMY OF ALL ART SHOWS OPENS AT LACMA.Byline: Josh Kleinbaum Staff Writer Fascinated by the Egyptian king who ruled more than 3,300 years ago, an estimated 3,300 visitors flocked Thursday to the opening day of the King Tut exhibit, a sprawling display of glitz and gold that left them awe-struck. ``It was fabulous,'' said Lori Hilberg, 50, who drove from Temecula to see the exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, also known as LACMA, is the official and world-renowned art museum of the County of Los Angeles, California, located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. . ``Learning the history, the religious beliefs, the superstitions - it was really interesting to me.'' Anticipation has been running high for the exhibit, which is sold out through Tuesday. Officials expect as many as 8,800 people a day will visit the display after the three-day, members-only debut that began Thursday. The exhibit of 130 artifacts artifacts see specimen artifacts. from King Tut's tomb and those of other Egyptian rulers is making its first appearance in the United States since 1978. About 1.2 million people visited that version of the Tut exhibit. The 2005 version, which will remain at LACMA LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art LACMA Los Angeles County Medical Association LACMA Latin American and Caribbean Movers Association until November, includes a wider breadth of artifacts. It doesn't include King Tut's famed golden mask - the Egyptian government refused to include it in the traveling exhibit, LACMA officials said. ``That gold mask is just startling,'' said Wayne Browning, 67, who saw it at the 1978 exhibit and in Cairo. ``You find out it's solid gold, and it's just enormous.'' ``It hypnotized me when I saw it (in 1978),'' the Rev. Len Glascow said. ``The mask is really what I wanted to see. They didn't bring the mask.'' Despite the missing mask, patrons fawned over the exhibit, amazed at the detail and intricate design of jewelry and furniture more than 3,000 years old. The artifacts that were buried with Tut's mummified mum·mi·fy v. mum·mi·fied, mum·mi·fy·ing, mum·mi·fies v.tr. 1. To make into a mummy by embalming and drying. 2. To cause to shrivel and dry up. v.intr. body, including a gold dagger, a gold crown featuring the head of a snake, and a large necklace, were the highlight of the exhibit. ``The detail and the craftsmanship that went into creating that crown was pretty awesome,'' said Vince Murdock, a 45-year-old man from Fountain Valley. ``I always thought Tut was at the Luxor in Vegas.'' Eighty-three years after its discovery and 27 years after its first appearance in Los Angeles, King Tut's tomb hasn't lost its hold on people's imaginations. ``This young man becomes king, at 19 mysteriously dies and then leaves this fantastic tomb of wonders,'' Dolores Dolores (or Delores) was a common given name (until the 1960s in the USA); it is cognate with the English word "dolorous" (meaning sorrowful) and equivalent in meaning. Browning said. ``And the tomb is preserved. That's a miracle in itself.'' African-Americans described the exhibit as empowering, saying the statues and pictures of Tut's face confirm their belief that the king was black. Duane Hanna, a 39-year-old bus driver from San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo (săn l  `ĭs ōbĭs`pō), city (1990 pop. 41,958), seat of San Luis Obispo co., S Calif., near San Luis Obispo Bay; inc. 1856. who led a group down to Los Angeles for the exhibit, said he will drive back down again with his children. ``I find it amazing what we were able to do back then,'' Hanna said. ``It really makes you want to dig into your heritage. Black history is rich.'' For many people, though, the exhibit was about beautiful art, not heritage. ``I saw a couple of pieces I would love on my mantel,'' Sherman Oaks attorney Geraldine Green said. Josh Kleinbaum, (818) 713-3669 josh.kleinbaum(at)dailynews.com ``Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs'' Where: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Nov. 15. Tickets: $15 to $30. (877) 888-8587; www.ticketmaster.com; www.kingtut.org; www.lacma.org. Items on display: 130 artifacts from the tombs of Tut and other pharaohs of the 18th dynasty, including the golden diadem diadem, in ancient times, the fillet of silk, wool, or linen tied about the head of a king, queen, or priest as a distinguishing mark. Later, it was a band of gold, which gave rise to the crown. In heraldry, the diadem is one of the arched bars that support the crown. , viscera viscera /vis·ce·ra/ (vis´er-ah) plural of viscus. vis·cer·a pl.n. 1. The soft internal organs of the body, especially those contained within the abdominal and thoracic cavities. coffin, canopic bust, prestigious dagger, falcon collar, wooden mirror case and luxurious fan. Among the items that are returning from the 1978 exhibit are a small statue shrine, a mirror in the form of an ankh ankh Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph signifying life, consisting of a cross surmounted by a loop. In tomb inscriptions, gods and pharaohs are often pictured holding the ankh, which forms part of the hieroglyph for concepts such as health and happiness. , a chest with poles and a lotus blossom cup. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color) Lynn Jones of Mesquite, Texas, wears a knockoff knock·off n. Informal An unauthorized copy or imitation, as of designer clothing: "the place to go for quality knockoffs" Women's Wear Daily. Noun 1. of King Tut's headdress headdress, head covering or decoration, protective or ceremonial, which has been an important part of costume since ancient times. Its style is governed in general by climate, available materials, religion or superstition, and the dictates of fashion. as she waits in line to see the exhibit at LACMA on Thursday, its first day. Nick Ut/Associated Press Box: ``Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs'' (see text) |
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