Csornay Boldizsár - Dobos Zsuzsa - Varga Ágota - Zakariás János szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 97. (Budapest, 2002)

The Year 2002

in the show case. Sahmet, however, could remedy their diseases as well; the Egyptians performed a lot of offering rituals and endeavoured to win her benevolence by sacrifices. Some of the usual presents to the goddess were shown at the exhibition, such as an amulet papyrus column, a ring, a scarab beetle, a pearl, a minute copy of a menit (counterweight) keeping the necklace on its place, a lion-headed aegis amulet and a New Year small vessel. New Year gifts were given for protection. The priests of the goddess did not fulfil exclusively liturgical tasks, but they also served as surgeons. In many instances, the surgical, cosmetic and embalming instruments cannot be distinguished from each other. The bronze object at the exhibition illustrated the variety of these instruments. The New Year ceremony, including the union of god Horus (his eagle-shaped granite statute on the right) and the sunbeams, put an end to the baleful period: the power of the evil was broken, and maat (justice in Egyptian) ruled again over life. The New Year started in such a manner on 19 July. The feast was recorded in numerous churches. A reproduction of the representation of a priestly procession from the Horus church in Edfu, covering the back of the display cabinet, wishes to evoke the atmosphere of this ceremony. The display was arranged by Hedvig Győry and Irén Vozil. Those who may want to know more on this subject can recourse to the Museum Journal that appeared under the same title as the exhibition in Hungarian and Spanish. H. GY. Translated by T. K. GARDEN OF THE MUSES. THE BIRTH OF THE HUNGARIAN MUSEUMS FEBRUARY 7, 2002 -APRIL 10, 2002. THE HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF BUDAPEST CURATORS OF THE EXHIBITION: BOLDIZSÁR CSORNAY, PÉTER GABODA, KATALIN PAPP TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE! IRÉN VOZIL The exhibition commemorated the naissance of Hungarian museums 200 years ago, on November 25, 1802, when Count Ferenc Széchényi made a solemn declaration of bestowing his collections on the nation. The art holdings of the thus formed Hungarian National Museum were to later constitute, together with the entire collecti-