senior chef
Senior Member
During my travels in Egypt, I spent considerable time in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.
Obviously, there is much to hold our attention. I spent quite awhile studying the Narmer Palette and , of course The Tutankamen exhibits on the 2nd floor. However, it was the statue of Pharaoh Khafre which mesmerized me. There are no benches to sit and study the exhibits, so I often had to sit on the floor , propped up against the wall if I wanted to soak up an exhibit.
It was thus, with the Statue of Pharaoh Khafre. Usually, when I spend time at various museums and archaeological sites, I lug along a half dozen books that teach me about what I'm studying.
The statue of Pharaoh Khafre, made of black diorite, the second hardest stone, (surpassed only by diamonds), is as smooth as glass. As I sat against the wall and read what my books were telling me about Khafre, I occasionally stood up and examined it close up. Yeah, I know it's forbidden to touch the exhibits BUT when no one was looking I couldn't help myself and I lightly ran my fingers over that incredibly smooth statue. I wondered how the artisan could have achieved such smoothness as he worked on the diorite.
I must have spent a whole hour communing with that statue. I did get a chuckle as flocks of tour groups were herded passed , spending only minute seeing that statue.
Obviously, there is much to hold our attention. I spent quite awhile studying the Narmer Palette and , of course The Tutankamen exhibits on the 2nd floor. However, it was the statue of Pharaoh Khafre which mesmerized me. There are no benches to sit and study the exhibits, so I often had to sit on the floor , propped up against the wall if I wanted to soak up an exhibit.
It was thus, with the Statue of Pharaoh Khafre. Usually, when I spend time at various museums and archaeological sites, I lug along a half dozen books that teach me about what I'm studying.
The statue of Pharaoh Khafre, made of black diorite, the second hardest stone, (surpassed only by diamonds), is as smooth as glass. As I sat against the wall and read what my books were telling me about Khafre, I occasionally stood up and examined it close up. Yeah, I know it's forbidden to touch the exhibits BUT when no one was looking I couldn't help myself and I lightly ran my fingers over that incredibly smooth statue. I wondered how the artisan could have achieved such smoothness as he worked on the diorite.
I must have spent a whole hour communing with that statue. I did get a chuckle as flocks of tour groups were herded passed , spending only minute seeing that statue.
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