With a title that conjures the possibility of Indiana Jones tumbling in through a trapdoor somewhere, Ramses and the Pharaohs’ Gold is geared to entertain. Centred on Ramses II, ruler of Egypt for 66 years (from 1279 to 1213BC), it begins with a booming big-screen video introduction to the greatest of pharaohs – “Warrior! Builder! Romantic!” Thankfully, the exhibition doesn’t rely on gimmickry. Instead it pitches visitors into a considered, if rather eclectic, collection of 180 remarkable – and sometimes extraordinary – objects that have never been seen in this country before.
True, it’s all a little random. Without too much of a thematic premise, Ramses defaults to a view of the craftsmanship and sculptural acumen that had developed by the time of the New Kingdom, with some standout pieces; the carving of Ramses prostrated, offering a casket to the gods, is imbued with realism, presenting him as a living human, not a sacred effigy. A series of royal coffins, elaborate and ornate – and in stark contrast to Ramses II’s own surprisingly simple cedarwood coffin – are obstinate in their strangeness.
Some objects offer a more offbeat glimpse into ancient Egyptian life than the one-foot-forward kingly statues and sideways-facing figures that have become the clichés of ancient Egyptian art. Set among the finely proportioned busts of Ramses himself, there are examples of architectural models for columns and capitals, and evidence of the mastery that raised the temples at Abu Simbel. Weirdest is a crimson fist carved from red jasper, an expensive alternative to the more usual Egyptian practice of painting statues.
There are domestic things, such as pristine alabaster kohl pots (used to store eye make-up) and a princess’s hand mirror, its inlaid hilt fashioned into the amused, cow-eared countenance of Hathor, goddess of love and inebriation. There’s not that much gold, but when it does turn up it’s dazzling. The bling at the show’s heart is mostly the accoutrements of various princesses: heavy necklaces, girdles, elaborate pendant earrings and a carnelian-inlaid dagger.
Ramses is teen-friendly “edutainment” made all the more fun by the virtual reality experience accessed through the gift shop; sitting in ranks of motion-synced pod-seats, you get whisked around a CGI Abu Simbel by the ghost of a surprisingly busty Nefertari, Ramses’s first wife. It’s virtual tourism with a fantasy ending straight out of The Mummy, as an angry spirit chases you across the desert. You don’t get that at the British Museum, for sure.
At Neon, Battersea Power Station until May 31; ramsestheexhibition.co.uk