Mummies at the Royal Military Museum!
New residents have arrived at the Military Museum: some mummies are temporarily joining us thanks to a collaboration between the War Heritage Institute and the Royal Museums of Art and History! A human head, a foot, three cats, an ibis and a falcon, all mummified, are currently within our walls.
Hyacinth Pirmez (1878-1924) acquired these objects during a voyage of discovery to Egypt and Sudan between 7 December 1908 and 18 March 1910. The set the Royal Museums of Art and History last year. They were in a metal display case, lined inside with green textile and sealed with glass framed with wood.
These mummies and their display case obviously need to be preserved as well as possible for the future. Therefore, the staff of the Royal Museums of Art and History called on our conservation and restoration expertise. Our textile, metal and wood conservators will treat the mummies and the case in which they are kept, in consultation with their staff.
The mummies will also be scientifically examined. Some key research questions include the provenance of the objects, the identification of the human remains and their dating.