The mystery of the spinning statue at Manchester Museum
This paper discusses the emergence, and impact, of public perceptions of Ancient Egypt and diverse ideas of magic at the Manchester Museum, following the huge response to the episode of the spinning statuette. In June 2013, a video of an Egyptian statuette spinning of its own accord in its case...
| Published in: | Material religion |
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| Authors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis
[2018]
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| In: |
Material religion
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| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Manchester Museum
/ Egypt (Antiquity)
/ Religion
/ Sacred object
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| IxTheo Classification: | AG Religious life; material religion BC Ancient Orient; religion KBF British Isles |
| Further subjects: | B
Public perceptions
B viral video B Ancient Egypt B Social media B Magic |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | This paper discusses the emergence, and impact, of public perceptions of Ancient Egypt and diverse ideas of magic at the Manchester Museum, following the huge response to the episode of the spinning statuette. In June 2013, a video of an Egyptian statuette spinning of its own accord in its case in the Egypt Gallery of the Manchester Museum went viral. During the media storm that followed the publication of the video, many hinted at a magic event, which could be related to popular perceptions of Ancient Egypt: ideas from movies and popular culture were widely used to explain and comment, often ironically, on the episode. At the same time, in the museum galleries people were jostling to see the statuette and questioning the museum staff. Therefore, this paper will observe how media and museum audiences have used the concept of magic in relation to the spinning statuette: what beliefs and attitudes towards magic emerge from these comments? Why was the museum criticized for suggesting a magic connection? And what have been the outcomes of the episode for the museum and for our understanding of public perceptions of Ancient Egypt? |
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| ISSN: | 1751-8342 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Material religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1080/17432200.2018.1443895 |