Page 111 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Boston

F AR THER AFIELD  109

highlight the influence of
Greek arts on both Etruscan
and Roman art. The Etruscan
collection has several
carved sarcophagi, gold
jewelry, bronze mirrors, and
colorful terracottas, while
the Roman collection features
grave markers, portrait busts,
and a series of wall panel
paintings unearthed in
Part of the Processional Way of Ancient Babylonia (6th century BC) Pompeii on an MFA expedition
in 1900–1901.
The MFA is well known for encompass gold and silver
its extensive collection of artifacts, ceramics, and jewels.
European decorative arts. Other highlights from Asian Art
Tableware, ceramics, and glass the Egyptian and Nubian The Asian collection is one of
clustered by period from collections include two the most extensive that can
the early 17th to early 20th monumental sculptures of be found under one roof.
centuries are some examples Nubian kings from the Great A range of works from India,
of the works exhibited. Pain- Temple of Amen at Napata the Near East and Central
stakingly transferred medieval (620–586 BC and 600– Asia are exhibited. Among
stained-glass windows, beau- 580 BC). A few of the the highlights are Indian
tifully illuminated bibles, and galleries are set sculpture and chang ing
delicate French tapestries are up to re-create exhibitions
displayed alongside works Nubian burial of Islamic
by Old Masters. chambers, which miniature
Some of the museum’s most allows cuneiform paintings and
prized decorative arts include wall carvings to Indian narrative
the opulent displays of 18th- be displayed in paintings. Elsewhere,
century French silver housed something akin works from Korea
in the Louis XVI-style gallery, to an original feature some Buddhist
and some of the world’s setting; a superb Tang Dynasty paintings and sculptures,
most extensive holdings of example is the offering Chinese Horse jewelry, and ornaments.
Chinese export porcelain. chapel of Sekhem- (8th century) The museum also
ankh-Ptah from boasts calligraphy,
Sakkara (2450–2350 BC). ceramics, and stone sculptures
Ancient Egyptian, Nubian from China and the largest
and Near Eastern Art collection of Japanese prints
Classical Art
The MFA’s collection of outside Japan. Extensive
Egyptian and Nubian materials The MFA boasts one of holdings and limited display
is unparalleled outside of America’s top collections of space mean that specific
Africa, and derives primarily Greek ceramics. In particular exhibitions change often,
from MFA-Harvard University the red-and black-figured but the MFA’s exhibitions of
excavations along the Nile, vases dating from the 6th Japanese and Chinese scroll
which began in 1905. One and 5th centuries BC are and screen paintings are,
of the highlights is a 1998 exceptional. The Classical nevertheless, unmatched in
installation showing Egyptian gal leries of the museum are the West. The strength of the
Funerary Arts, which uses intended to thematically MFA’s Japanese art collection
the MFA’s superb collec- is largely due to the efforts
tion of mummies from of collectors such as Ernest
nearly three millennia to Fenollosa and William Sturgis
illustrate the technical and Bigelow. In the 19th century
art historical aspects of they encouraged the Japanese
Egyptian burial practices. to maintain their traditions,
Also on display are some and salvaged Bud dhist temple
exceptional Babylonian, art when the Japanese
Assyrian, and Sumerian imperial government had
reliefs. Works from ancient withdrawn subsidies from
Nubia, the cultural region these institutions. This
around the Nile stretching collection is con sidered to
roughly between the contain some of the finest
modern African cities of Roman fresco, excavated from a Pompeian villa examples of Asian temple
Aswan and Khartoum, (1st century AD) art in the world.

108-109_EW_Boston.indd 109 09/01/17 12:14 pm