ARTS . Arts Picks

King Tut

uns Feb. 3-Sept. 30, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.


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Published: Jan 30, 2007

exhibit

Forget, for a second, his preserved flesh wrapped in fabric; it's the appeal of King Tut and his attendant treasures that's showing some unexpected longevity. This isn't the first time the boy pharaoh has journeyed to the U.S. — he last did so for a sold-out string of shows in the late '70s, at which point The New Yorker decided to interview him — and yet, here he comes again, his own greatest-hits tour.

In the 30 years since his last visit, ructions have rocked Tut's homeland: Egypt became the first Arab nation to sign an accord with Israel, President Mohammad Anwar el-Sadat was assassinated and, since the "war on terror" was declared, the country has been mired in criticism of its human-rights record. No wonder, then, that one of the most prominent modern Egyptologists, Penn alum Zahi Hawass, has become part cultural ambassador, and the mission to bring Tut and the collection, containing 70 artifacts from the pharaohs and 50 from Tut's tomb, is being framed as a way to promote cultural understanding. Hawass will return to Penn while he's in town to speak about newly unearthed details about the pyramids and ancient Egypt's continued mystique.

It's impossible that anyone reading this has never heard of Tut — and yet, it's hard to know how to proclaim the new exhibit. Regardless, the true marvel is that every piece is exactly the same: Every papyrus still crisp, every painted and gilded sarcophagus still bright-eyed.

"Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharoahs," runs Feb. 3-Sept. 30, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, $27.50-$32.50, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., 877-888-8587, ww.fi.edu. Zahi Hawass discusses "The Riddle of the Pyramids and the Magic of King Tut," Thu., Feb. 1, 6 p.m., sold out, Harrison Auditorium, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South St., 215-898-4000.