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Harry Callahan (American, 1912-1999), Eleanor, 1948, Photograph, gelatin silver print, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Dr. J. Patrick Kennedy, © The Estate of Harry Callahan, courtesy Pace/MacGill, NY, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Harry Callahan (American, 1912-1999), New York, 1945, Photograph, gelatin silver print, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Sophie M. Friedman Fund, © The Estate of Harry Callahan, courtesy Pace/MacGill, NY, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Harry Callahan (American, 1912-1999), Eleanor, about 1947, Photograph, gelatin silver print, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Barbara and Gene Polk, © The Estate of Harry Callahan, courtesy Pace/MacGill, NY, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Harry Callahan (American, 1912-1999), Chicago, 1961, Photograph, gelatin silver print, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Barbara and Gene Polk, © The Estate of Harry Callahan, courtesy Pace/MacGill, NY, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Avenue of the Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
617-267-9300
Boston
Herb Ritts Gallery
Harry Callahan:
American Photographer
November 21, 2009-July 3, 2010

The brilliant graphic sensibility of Harry Callahan (1912-1999), a major figure in American photography, is the focus of Harry Callahan: American Photographer at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). The exhibition features approximately 40 photographs that survey the major visual themes of the artist’s career. It celebrates the Museum’s important recent acquisitions — by both purchase and gift — of Callahan’s photographs and showcases significant examples of his artistry from the collections of friends of the MFA. The many sensitive pictures that Callahan made of his wife Eleanor, his depictions of passers-by on the street, his carefully composed landscapes and close-ups from nature, and experimental darkroom abstractions reveal a wide-ranging talent that was enormously influential.

"Harry Callahan was one of the most innovative photographers working in America in the mid 20th-century," said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the MFA. "His elegantly spare, introspective photographs demonstrate his lyricism and the originality of his sense of design."

The Detroit-born photographer, whose career spanned six decades, became interested in the camera in the late 1930s while working as a Chrysler Corporation shipping clerk. He was largely self-taught, and attracted admiration early on for his originality. By 1946, Callahan was hired as a photography instructor by the Hungarian-born artist László Moholy-Nagy for the Institute of Design, a Bauhaus-inspired school of art and design in Chicago. In 1961, Callahan was invited to head the photography program at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he was based until retiring to Atlanta two decades later.

"Harry Callahan’s approach helped shape American photography in the second half of the 20th century," said Anne Havinga, Estrellita and Yousuf Karsh Senior Curator of Photographs, who organized the exhibition. "His way of seeing inspired countless followers and continues to feel fresh today."

Callahan concentrated on a handful of personal subjects in his work, exploring each theme repeatedly throughout his career. These include portraits of his wife Eleanor, depictions of anonymous pedestrians, expressive details of the urban and natural landscape, and experimental darkroom abstractions. The MFA exhibition is organized into five themes: Eleanor, Pedestrians, Architecture, Landscapes, and Darkroom Abstractions.

In 1936, around the time that Callahan began to explore photography, he married Eleanor Knapp, who served as one of his first and most frequent subjects. Callahan’s portraits of his wife, characterized by their intimate yet detached poetry, have become a landmark in the history of photography. In the photograph Eleanor (about 1948), Callahan portrays his wife in a private interior setting, facing away from the camera. After the birth of their daughter Barbara in 1950, she too entered these family pictures, which capture the intimate moments of daily life as seen in the photograph, Eleanor and Barbara (1953).

Callahan photographed the natural landscape throughout his career, focusing on its evocative forms and textures. In images such as Aix-en-Provence, France (1957), he explored the visual effects that he could create either through high contrast or closely related tonalities. Callahan also utilized a range of different experimental darkroom techniques — from photographing the beam of a flashlight in a darkened room, to developing one print from multiple negatives. Many of his multi-exposure pictures were made by superimposing images from popular culture onto studies of urban life. Callahan’s openness to experimentation was stimulating for the many students who worked with him.

Callahan made many of his best known images during his 15 years in Chicago, where he also began his role as an influential teacher. During the 1950s, the photographer embarked on a series of close-ups of anonymous pedestrians in the streets of Chicago, most of them women. Using a 35mm camera with a pre-focused telephoto lens, he captured passersby unaware of his presence, resulting in snapshot-like images that record unsuspecting subjects absorbed in private thought or action, such as Chicago (1950), a close-up of a preoccupied woman’s face. Callahan returned to this theme frequently, working in both black and white and color.

Callahan was repeatedly drawn to architectural and urban subjects. Prior to moving to Chicago, he explored the spaces of Detroit, photographing the formal patterns he discovered there. In Detroit (1943), Callahan depicts a street scene, with the people in transit appearing as a pattern. He experimented with color in these pictures as early as the 1940s, but he worked more extensively in color later in his career, from the 1970s onward.

Harry Callahan (American, 1912-1999), Ireland, 1979, Photograph, dye-transfer print, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Sophie M. Friedman Fund, © The Estate of Harry Callahan, courtesy Pace/MacGill, NY, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Arpita Singh (Indian, born in 1937), Munna Appa’s Kitchen, 1994, Oil on canvas, Mr. and Mrs. Rajiv Jahangir Chaudhri Collection, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Ram Kumar (Indian, born in 1924), Untitled, About 1970, Oil on canvas, Mr. and Mrs. Rajiv Jahangir Chaudhri Collection, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Francis Newton Souza (Indian, 1924-2002), Man and Woman, 1954, Oil on board, Mr. and Mrs. Rajiv Jahangir Chaudhri Collection, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

M.F. Husain (Indian, born in 1915), Ganesh Darwaza, 1964, Oil on canvas, Mr. and Mrs. Rajiv Jahangir Chaudhri Collection, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Tyeb Mehta (Indian, 1925-2009), Falling Figure with Bird, 1988, Oil on canvas, Mr. and Mrs. Rajiv Jahangir Chaudhri, Collection, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Sayed Haider Raza (Indian, born in 1922), Untitled (from the Rajasthan Series), 1975, Oil on canvas, Mr. and Mrs. Rajiv Jahangir Chaudhri Collection, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Avenue of the Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
617-267-9300
Boston
Bharat Ratna!
Jewels of Modern Indian Art
November 14, 2009-
August 22, 2010

Sixteen paintings by luminaries of modern Indian art are featured in Bharat Ratna! Jewels of Modern Indian Art. These vibrant Bharat Ratna — literally “Jewels of India” — are drawn from the renowned collection of Mr. and Mrs. Rajiv Jahangir Chaudhri, who have assembled some of the finest examples of post-Independence Indian art. The exhibition represents the first time that a significant number of works from this collection will be displayed publicly. It is also the first exhibition of modern Indian art at the MFA.

“The Chaudhris have collected some of the most outstanding examples of modernist and contemporary Indian art, which document the evolution of a vibrant and influential artistic period in India,” said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the MFA. “The MFA is grateful for the opportunity to display such exquisite treasures.”

Rajiv Chaudhri says, “I am a firm believer in the idea that the art of all ages and regions is the common heritage of mankind. Since Egyptian, Greek, and Chinese art are part of my heritage, it follows that I also believe that Indian art is, or should be, part of the heritage of America, Europe and other regions of the world. Bravo to the MFA for taking the leadership role in this area.”

Bharat Ratna! offers a visually exciting dialogue between the evolving modernism of western art and the deeply rooted traditions of India and the multiple different approaches that Indian artists took, in the aftermath of Independence, to define their own and “Indian” art. On view in the MFA’s Indian Paintings and Decorative Arts Gallery, the exhibition includes works by several of the leading members of the Progressive Artists’ Group of Bombay: Krishnaji Howlaji Ara (1914-85), Maqbool Fida Husain (b. 1915), Sayed Haider Raza (b. 1922), and Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002). Their paintings — often created with vivid hues and abstract imagery — reflect the unsettled period of artistic creation that occurred as India struggled to achieve independence from British colonial rule, the bloody Partition and the heady, idealistic period that followed, of fashioning a new India and new Indian art.

Reacting against the nationalist and conservative precepts of the Bengal School, the Progressives wove principles of western modernism into the rich fabric of Indian art, creating a unique avant-garde identity as seen in the golden-toned Ganesh Darwaza (1964) by M.F. Husain, also known as the “Picasso of India,” who captured the humanity, myths, legends, gods and goddesses of his distinctly Indian subjects. Equally vibrant is S.H. Raza’s Untitled (from the Rajasthan Series) (1975), which evokes the brilliant colors of Jain and Rajasthani miniatures in its spirited depiction of the Indian countryside. In contrast, F.N. Souza’s more contemplative painting, Man and Woman (1954), draws from his strict Catholic upbringing in the Portuguese colony of Goa. This haunting work offers a portrait of two saint-like figures pierced by the arrows of martyrdom. Meanwhile Ara’s painting, Bharata Natya shows the famous Indian temple dancer Ram Gopal in classical dance pose with a meticulous eye for the natural fluidity of the body, reminiscent of ancient Indian sculpture.

Although the Progressives flourished as a group only briefly, from 1947-56, other artists who joined later and became part of the circle are also represented in Bharat Ratna! by Vasudeo S. Gaitonde (1924-2001), Krishen Khanna, (b. 1925), Ram Kumar (b. 1924), Tyeb Mehta (1925-2009), and Akbar Padamsee (b. 1928). V.S. Gaitonde’s lush tonal landscape Untitled (c. 1970) shows the artist’s attention to the nuances of light, color, and space. His manipulation of multiple thin layers of paint creates a luminous depth of hue. As with many of his contemporaries, Gaitonde was influenced by western art and the works of such leading figures as Joan Miró, Wassily Kandinsky, and Paul Klee. Ram Kumar abandoned the stylized figure painting characteristic of his early years abroad (studying in Paris) and developed, upon returning home, a spiritual tie to his native landscape. This is evidenced in Untitled (c. 1970), featuring a sweeping array of blues, oranges, greens, and grays. Its drama contrasts with the poignancy of Mehta’s Falling Figure with Bird (c. 1988), which reflects the violence and social upheaval of 1947 witnessed by the artist during his country’s rebirth. In this painting, the bird and human body are frozen in horror as they spiral down from the sky above to the depths below.

The exhibition also includes Untitled (1960) by Avinash Chandra (1931-91), known for his boldly colored, sensually, abstract works reminiscent of mosaics or stained glass. Chandra was a member of the Delhi Silpi Chakra, another progressive collaborative formed by artists in the aftermath of independence and partition who hoped to create a new national culture. In addition, Bharat Ratna! features the painting Munna Appa’s Kitchen (1994) by Arpita Singh (b. 1937), one of her dream-like, densely colored works capturing a magical world where familiar objects assume a life unto themselves around a middle-aged woman. Also showcased is The Tree, the Bird, the Shadow (1981) by Jagdish Swaminathan (1928-94), one of his most famous works, which is part of a visionary series that explores space and landscape. Swaminathan was a founder of Group 1890, which was formed in 1962 to find a contemporary visual vocabulary for Indian art that would offer an alternative to, as he saw it, the east-meets-west hybrid art of the Progressives.

Paintings by Jehangir Sabavala (b. 1922), Kattingeri Krishna Hebbar (1911–1996), Gulam Rasool Santosh (b. 1929), and Ganesh Pyne (b. 1937) are also on view in the exhibition. All 16 works will be featured in a 32-page color publication, which includes essays by Rajiv Chaudhri and Edward Saywell, Chair of Contemporary Art and MFA Programs, and curator of Bharat Ratna!

Rajiv and Payal Chaudhri have generously lent several of their works to the MFA in recent years and have enhanced the Museum’s displays of contemporary art from South Asia. They are Patrons of the MFA, and members of its Art of Asia, Oceania, and Africa Visiting Committee. Chaudhri is President of Digital Century, a financial services firm that he founded in 1997. Previously, he was vice president in the investment research department at Goldman, Sachs, where he led its global semiconductor research effort and was a member of the investment strategy committee. Chaudhri started collecting posters of Indian artists when he was 13, later graduating to collecting original art in the early 1990s. He was the founding Chairman of the Indocenter of Art and Culture in New York, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the presentation and support of modern and contemporary art and culture of South Asia, which ran from 2000-2002. Chaudhri received a BA in economics from St. Stephens College, Delhi, followed by an MBA degree from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Payal Chaudhri is a marketing strategy consultant and has been an art patron in New York for more than a decade. She serves on the boards of the Guggenheim International Directors Council, the Asia Society's Chairman's Circle, and the Tate Modern's International Council. Mrs. Chaudhri is also a patron of Art Dubai. She received a BA from Wellesley College in Wellesley, and a MS from New York University.

J. Swaminathan (Indian, 1928-1994), The Tree, the Bird, the Shadow, 1981, Oil on canvas, Mr. and Mrs. Rajiv Jahangir Chaudhri Collection, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Procession of model boats, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11-early Dynasty 12, 2010-1961 B.C., Wood, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Model funerary boat, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11 or early Dynasty 12, 2010-1926 B.C., Wood, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, work in progress clearing stones from tombs 2 and 3, April 4, 1915, Photograph by Mohammed Shadduf, Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Model of weavers, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11 or early Dynasty 12, 2010-1926 B.C., Wood, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Model of a procession of male offering bearers, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11-early Dynasty 12, 2010-1961 B.C., Wood, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Model scene of workers ploughing a field, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11-early Dynasty 12, 2010-1961 B.C., Wood, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Head of the mummy of Djehutynakht, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11-early Dynasty 12, 2010-1961 B.C., Human remains, linen, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Model of a procession of offering bearers (“The Bersha Procession”), Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11-early Dynasty 12, 2010-1961 B.C., Wood, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Pile of models and other objects in situ, found between the east wall of tomb 10A and the outer coffin of Governor Djehutynakht, May 11, 1915, Photograph by Mohammed Shadduf, Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Statuette of Lady Djehutynakht, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11-early Dynasty 12, 2010-1961 B.C., Wood, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Statuette of Governor Djehutynakht, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11-early Dynasty 12, 2010-1961 B.C., Wood, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Avenue of the Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
617-267-9300
Boston
The Secrets of Tomb 10A:
Egypt 2000 BC
October 18, 2009-May 16, 2010

They survived two fires, the onslaught of robbers, and the effects of four thousand years underground. Now, these masterworks from an Egyptian tomb of the Middle Kingdom (2040–1640 BC) are on view together for the first time in a special exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). The Secrets of Tomb 10A: Egypt 2000 BC showcases funerary objects discovered in Deir el-Bersha, a necropolis in central Egypt, by the joint Harvard University-Museum of Fine Arts Expedition in 1915. This find represents the largest Middle Kingdom burial assemblage ever discovered and sheds light on the grand lifestyle enjoyed by local governor and priest Djehutynakht and his wife, Lady Djehutynakht, for whom the tomb was built. Objects range from the famous “Bersha coffin” — a masterpiece of Egyptian painting — to the mummified head of either the governor or his wife. Also included are hundreds of items deemed necessary for a comfortable afterlife in ancient Egypt. The conservation and reconstruction of many of the items — damaged by grave robbers in antiquity — have taken almost a century to complete. For the first time since they were placed in the tomb, the assemblage is displayed in its entirety.

Visitors can view treasures in the Museum’s numerous galleries at no charge on November 11, 2009, as well as the special exhibition The Secrets of Tomb 10A: Egypt 2000 BC, featuring masterworks from an Egyptian tomb of the Middle Kingdom that are on view together for the first time, made possible with support from Bank of America.

The Secrets of Tomb 10A brings ancient Egypt to life. Installed in the first gallery are large archival photographs of the expedition that unearthed the secrets of Tomb 10A, which capture the thrill of the original discovery. Complementing the wall text and labels throughout are two audio guides — one for children, which explains the layout of the exhibition and the Egyptians’ belief in the afterlife, and another for adults, which describes in greater detail the significance of the finds made in 1915. The exhibition examines mysteries surrounding the Djehutynakhts: their lifestyle, the fate of their possessions after they were buried, and whether the mummified head belongs to Djehutynakht or his wife. It also offers an engaging introduction to evolving funerary practices in Egypt from the 11th through 13th dynasties and provides insights into daily life of the high officials of the time.

“This exploration of ancient Egypt provides a window into one of the most fascinating civilizations in history,” said Malcolm Rogers, Ann and Graham Gund Director of the MFA. “The artistic and historical treasures found in Tomb 10A bring to life the world of 2000 BC — a time of glorious artistic achievements. By revealing what the Djehutynakhts considered most important for their journey to the afterlife, the exhibition offers a better understanding of the Middle Kingdom, the least known of Egypt’s major eras.”

Featured are more than 250 objects, many of which have never before been on view. These include four beautifully painted coffins, cult objects, vessels for food and drink, furniture, jewelry, walking sticks, and sealed beer jars (one of which will be opened and examined during the run of the exhibition). The exhibition also showcases the largest known collection of wooden models from the Middle Kingdom representing, in miniature form, a range of activities and items that would have been found on the couple’s estate.

Objects in the gallery highlight the historical significance of the Middle Kingdom, a period when the relationship between the pharaoh and his provincial governors characterized the politics of the day. Other key themes of the exhibition include an exploration of the nature and meaning of the grave goods discovered in the Djehutynakhts’ tomb, the evolving interest in the Deir el-Bersha tombs over the course of almost two centuries, and a comparative look at other funerary practices of Dynasties 12 and 13 (1991-1642 BC). Also on view is a section devoted to the expedition that unearthed the treasures of Tomb 10A and more recent discoveries made at Deir el-Bersha.

“Bersha Coffin”
The beautifully crafted cedar outer coffin of Governor Djehutynakht, an unparalleled masterpiece of Middle Kingdom painting resplendent with accomplished brushwork and brilliant colors, figures prominently in The Secrets of Tomb 10A. Measuring 8 feet by 4 feet (and 4 feet deep), it is disassembled in the exhibition to show the exquisite painting on the inside of its panels, so placed for the governor’s exclusive viewing. Rich in detail and symbolism, many of the painted images depict food, drink, clothing, weapons, and other provisions for the afterlife. There are many items of religious significance, including an intricately decorated false door through which Djehutynakht’s ka, or life force, could easily pass between the worlds of the living and the dead. The governor can be seen sitting in front of this door, inhaling incense offered by his son and surrounded by other objects useful for his new existence. Many of the goods found in the tomb replicate those depicted on the coffin. Above the depiction of Djehutynakht and his funerary goods are two rows of large, painted hieroglyphs consisting of a funerary prayer requesting offerings from the king and the god Osiris. Incised cursive hieroglyphs record the Coffin Texts, a collection of funerary rituals and spells that are laid out in vertical columns. Nearly 200 individual spells are included so that they may protect and guide Governor Djehutynakht in his journey to the afterlife. In its entirety, the coffin’s design, decoration, incised texts and prayers for the dead, as well as map through the underworld, work together to facilitate their occupant’s passage to the afterlife and sustain the ka for eternity.

Thanks to careful record keeping and conservation, the Museum is able to capture the essence of the original tomb. Befitting their high status, the governor and his wife were both buried in decorated rectangular wooden coffins placed within larger coffins, all made of thick cedar of Lebanon boards. (Lady Djehutynakht had two outer coffins, but the outermost one was almost totally destroyed by robbers and left at the site by the expedition.) Only the wealthiest Egyptians of the period could afford such preparations. Coffins were the most costly items of tomb equipment and were considered vessels to transport the deceased to the afterlife. Mummified bodies were placed on their left side with the head facing the false door. In that way, through a pair of wedjat eyes painted on the inside of the coffin and in a corresponding place on its exterior, they could view their journey to the afterlife.

The Secrets of Tomb 10A also showcases Lady Djehutynakht’s decorated coffins, which, like her husband’s, were carved and painted inside, with ornamental hieroglyphs along the top, and false doors, offering lists, and Coffin Texts on the panels. However, these are less detailed and do not contain the requisite map through the underworld. In addition to her coffins, Lady Djehutynakht’s jewelry is included in the exhibition as illustrated by the exquisite blue-green faience Broad collar (about 2040-1783 BC) and a gold bracelet.

“We are thrilled to present this material for the first time. It has been a privilege to study it now that our talented conservators have restored it to its original splendor. The consummate skill of the ancient artists is revealed for all to see and enjoy,” said Rita E. Freed, John F. Cogan, Jr. and Mary L. Cornille Chair of the MFA’s Department of Art of the Ancient World, who organized the exhibition with department curators Lawrence M. Berman, Norma Jean Calderwood Senior Curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art, and Denise M. Doxey, curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Eastern Art.

Djehutynakht, whose name means “(the god) Thoth is Strong,” is believed to have been a governor, or nomarch, of the district of Hermopolis in Middle Egypt who lived during the reign of one or more of three possible rulers of Dynasty 11 and 12: Mentuhotep III (2010-1998 BC), Mentuhotep IV (1998–1991 BC), or Amenemhat I (1991-1961 BC). He also held the titles of “controller of the two thrones” and “overseer of priests.” After the collapse of the Great Pyramid age of the Old Kingdom (around 2143-2100 BC), there was no central government in Egypt. This resulted in the formation of powerful provincial centers during the First Intermediate Period (about 2100-2040 BC). The country was reunified in the Middle Kingdom, but local governors still retained power. Because Hermopolis was at the juncture of the previously warring northern and southern Egyptian kingdoms, as a high official, Djehutynakht likely played a role in the politics of the region.

His tomb is located in Deir el-Bersha, named after the nearby modern village, about 186 miles south of Cairo on the east bank of the Nile, across from the ancient site of Hermopolis. Tomb 10A was discovered in 1915 by MFA registrar Hanford Lyman Story, a member of the Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition in Egypt (1915-1947) that is known primarily for unearthing thousands of objects at Giza and amassing the largest archaeological documentary archive of any expedition there. It was led by George Reisner, called the “Father of American Egyptology,” a professor of Egyptology at Harvard who founded the expedition and later became curator of the Egyptology Department at the MFA. The material discovered at Deir el-Bersha was divided between the Boston expedition and the Egyptian government, with the entirety of the jumbled contents of Tomb 10A awarded to Boston. Because of World War I, objects were stored in Egypt for safekeeping, finally leaving for Boston in 1921. More drama followed. The cargo ship carrying them caught fire, and the crates were damaged by water. Luckily, this final assault on the contents of the Djehutynakhts’ tomb was minor.

Excavation and Scientific Research
Documentary photos in The Secrets of Tomb 10A chronicle the 1915 excavation of the necropolis at Deir el-Bersha, where archaeologists unearthed many burial shafts, largely devoid of significant finds. That changed when they blasted away massive boulders and discovered a shaft leading to Tomb 10A. The above-ground chapel of the tomb had been quarried, destroying information about the inhabitants. The shaft itself showed signs of fire and plunder, but team members continued to dig down 30 feet until they reached the bottom and found, amidst the debris, the entrance to a burial chamber. Inside, they discovered a chaotic scene with objects strewn throughout the small room by robbers in search of booty. Providing an eerie greeting for the 20th-century visitors was a linen-wrapped painted head perched on top of a coffin, appearing to observe the excavators. (Propped up in the far corner was a limb-less, head-less torso. Determining it to be of little value for the Museum, archeologists left it at the site.) Almost 95 years later, the mummy head is once again visible in a small room in the exhibition, exactly the size of the original burial chamber.

Near the head in the same small chamber in the exhibition is a digital animation highlighting the reconstruction of the mummy head. Also featured are supporting materials documenting the extensive scientific analyses conducted on the head from 2005 by neurologists and radiologists at Massachusetts General Hospital, who applied cutting-edge ultra-high resolution flat panel volume CT (computerized tomography) scanning technology, among other techniques. Improving upon earlier studies of 1984 in cooperation with Brigham and Women’s Hospital, this research has identified additional surgical procedures performed on the head during the embalming process. Also, thanks to new, highly advanced scans of the mummified head, the Cancer Research Institute of Heidelberg University made a 3-D plaster model of the skull without unwrapping it. While these new views of the head do not determine conclusively whether it is Governor Djehutynakht or his wife, Lady Djehutynakht, they shed considerable light on the mystery of why several facial bones were removed. It appears the brain — in addition to being removed through the nose, the traditional ancient Egyptian way that had not yet become common by the Djehutynakhts’ time — also was partially extracted through the base of the skull at the back of the head. The jaw was later separated from its adjacent musculature, possibly in keeping with the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, an important funerary ritual of ancient Egypt that restored the use of the mouth for the deceased to eat, drink, and breathe in the afterlife. Tests on DNA samples from the head are currently underway in the continued attempt to determine which of the Djehutynakhts resides at the MFA.

Models
Although tomb robbers stole virtually everything made of gold or semi-precious stone, they left behind treasures of another kind — masterworks of Egyptian art. One of the most famous examples is the Procession of offering bearers (c. 2040-1926 BC), a wooden model about 26 inches long that represents all that was essential to sustain the ka of Djehutynakht in the afterlife. The procession consists of a priest carrying a ceremonial wine jar and incense burner for use in the burial rites, followed by two women with offerings of food and drink, and a third bringing items for the governor’s personal care. The delicacy of its carving and the detail of its painting make it the finest of its kind ever discovered in Egypt. Procession of offering bearers was one of approximately 100 wooden models found scattered throughout Tomb 10A. More than 30 of these models represent daily activities on a grand estate, including farm work and individual shops for carpenters, weavers, brick-makers, bakers, and brewers. Egyptians believed these miniaturized workers would come to life and serve their owners in the afterlife, just as a nomarch’s personnel did during his time on earth.

Nearly 60 other models were of boats outfitted for pleasure, defensive, utilitarian and funerary purposes. Just as water-born transportation on the Nile was the primary means of journeying long distances in life, travel by boat was necessary for navigating the hereafter. When archeologists made their discovery, they found that the flotilla of boats, their crews, and assorted parts (such as weapons and tools) were roughly strewn about the tomb. Thanks to the help of five conservators (including one from the Cairo Museum) who spent approximately 10,000 hours on the project, thousands of pieces were sorted, matched, and reattached to their corresponding models, most of which are now shown fully assembled in the exhibition for the first time in four millenia.

Middle Kingdom Sculpture
Complementing objects found in Tomb 10A are examples of Middle Kingdom sculpture, decorative arts, and funerary goods from other sites illustrating the grand lifestyle enjoyed by the privileged during this period. These include sculptures of rulers and high officials of Djehutynakht’s time from the Museum’s own collection, such as Osiride Statue of King Mentuhotep III, re-inscribed for King Merenptah (Dynasty 11, about 2010–1998 BC), a commanding sandstone representation of the king, in the guise of Osiris, who greets visitors as they enter the exhibition. Also featured is "The Statue of Lady Sennuwy" (Dynasty 12, about 1971-1926 BC), one of the great masterpieces of the early 12th dynasty. This life-size granodiorite depiction of the wife of Djefaihapi of Asyut, a powerful provincial governor, was discovered by Reisner in Nubia (now present-day Sudan).

Although Reisner hoped that excavations at Deir el-Bersha would continue after the 1915 discoveries, work was halted until the 1990s, when a joint survey was undertaken by the MFA, the University of Pennsylvania, and Leiden University in the Netherlands. Today, the project continues under the leadership of Professor Harco Willems of Katholieke University of Leuven, Belgium, and new finds are still being made as documented in large photographs taken at the site, which line the perimeter of the exhibition’s final gallery.

To enhance the appreciation of The Secrets of Tomb 10A, a variety of educational programs will be offered at the Museum throughout the run of the exhibition, including lectures, courses, gallery talks, and an artist demonstration, as well as family activities. (Please see separate press releases.) In addition, the MFA’s website at www.mfa.org/tomb will include a fun, interactive section about mummies, mysteries, and magic surrounding Tomb 10A, and podcasts featuring the exhibition’s curators and noted experts.

Aspiring archaeologists can learn even more about Egypt by visiting the Museum’s other galleries, which showcase one of the world’s greatest collections of Egyptian art. These feature Egyptian Funerary Arts, which includes the MFA’s collection of mummies; the Old Kingdom; Egyptian and Nubian; New Kingdom; and Late Period Egyptian, and are all part of the new George D. and Margo Behrakis Art of the Ancient World Wing.

Front side panel of outer coffin of Djehutynakht, Egyptian, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11-early Dynasty 12, 2010-1961 B.C., Cedar, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition, Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.