Einfach unentbehrlich. Der Esel in der antiken Welt
In the organizer's words:
The cabinet exhibition in the Neues Museum is dedicated to one of mankind's oldest farm animals, the donkey. The special significance of the often underestimated gray animal for Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia is presented from various angles - and shows one thing above all: the donkey was simply indispensable in the ancient world.
Donkeys are often characterized as stubborn, stupid, lazy and headstrong. This is reflected in sayings such as "Stubborn as a donkey" and "The lazy donkey drags itself to death". However, these prejudices are wrong and are often based on a misinterpretation of their behavior. In fact, donkeys are intelligent, loyal, self-reliant and attentive animals. But what role did the donkey play in the ancient world, in which areas does the donkey appear and what characteristics were attributed to it at the time?
Indispensable donkey
In the cultures of Egypt and Mesopotamia, the donkey has played an important role since the earliest times and still characterizes the rural image of these regions today. The donkey is valued above all as an enduring beast of burden, as it can cover long distances without food.
Although it was primarily important in civilian life, the donkey was also used in a military environment. Here it not only took on the role of a reliable pack animal to transport provisions and equipment, but its level-headed nature also had a calming effect on the agitated horses.
Texts explain what donkeys were used for, what they cost and how you could acquire one. Donkeys were valuable and the theft of an animal was severely punished. Nevertheless, in most depictions the donkey is portrayed in a rather submissive manner and is often not treated very kindly. The donkey also plays a role in religion, but often in a negative association with the (evil) god Seth.
Illustrated donkey worlds
In several themed areas, the exhibition presents the functions of the donkey in the ancient world in different areas. What value did the donkey have? Which characteristics were most important? What significance did the donkey have in religion, the military or agriculture?
Various objects from the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection and the Museum of the Ancient Near East provide a diverse insight into the world of donkeys. These include donkey terracottas, depictions of donkeys and several texts explaining the use and acquisition of donkeys. Large-format images of donkeys from temples and tombs as well as modern photographs illustrate the exhibition.
A reading corner and a hands-on station invite the public to find out more and lift the burden of a donkey themselves.
Curatorial team
The exhibition is curated by Olivia Zorn, Marius Gerhardt, Rebekka Pabst and Jessica Knebel, research assistants at the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection, and Andrea Valsecchi Gillmeister and Nadja Cholidis, research assistants at the Museum of the Ancient Near East.
Publication
A richly illustrated catalog will be available to accompany the exhibition.
A special presentation of the Egyptian Museum and Papyrus Collection and the Vorderasiatisches Museum - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
This content has been machine translated.Price information:
Admission to the Neues Museum: EUR 14.00, reduced EUR 7.00. Free admission for children and young people up to and including the age of 18.
Location
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