MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON, TO PRESENT 'TUTANKHAMEN: THE GOLDEN KING AND THE GREAT PHARAOHS'

THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, HOUSTON (MFAH), WILL HOST 'TUTANKHAMEN: THE GOLDEN KING AND THE GREAT PHARAOHS', AN ACCLAIMED EXHIBITION FEATURING MORE THAN 100 ARTIFACTS, MOST OF WHICH HAVE NEVER BEEN SHOWN IN THE US PRIOR TO THIS HISTORIC TOUR. THE EXHIBITION OPENS 13.OCTOBER.2011 AND WILL BE ON VIEW THROUGH 15.APRIL.2012. VISITORS WILL HAVE A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW THE SPECTACULAR TREASURES, MORE THAN HALF OF WHICH COME FROM THE TOMB OF TUTANKHAMEN. THESE INCLUDE THE GOLDEN SANDALS THAT WERE FOUND ON THE BOY KING'S MUMMY, A GOLD COFFINETTE THAT HELD HIS STOMACH, GOLDEN STATUES OF THE GODS, HIS RINGS, EAR ORNAMENTS AND GOLD COLLAR. THE EXHIBITION IS ORGANIZED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE EGYPTIAN SUPREME COUNCIL OF ANTIQUITIES AND ITS SECRETARY GENERAL, DR ZAHI HAWASS, BY THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, ARTS AND EXHIBITIONS INTERNATIONAL AND AEG EXHIBITIONS. MAJOR PROCEEDS FROM THE TOUR WILL SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION OF ANTIQUITIES AND MONUMENTS IN EGYPT, AS WELL AS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IN CAIRO. TUTANKHAMEN: THE GOLDEN KING AND THE GREAT PHARAOHS' FEATURES TREASURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT RULERS OF THE 30 DYNASTIES THAT RULED EGYPT OVER A 2,000 YEAR SPAN. THE EXHIBITION EXPLORES THE SPLENDOR OF THE PHARAOHS, THEIR FUNCTION IN BOTH THE EARTHLY AND DIVINE WORLDS AND WHAT 'KINGSHIP' MEANT TO THE EGYPTIAN PEOPLE. VISITORS WILL ENCOUNTER MASTER SCULPTURES OF POWERFUL EGYPTIAN RULERS, INCLUDING KHAFRE, BUILDER OF THE GREAT SPHINX AND ONE OF THE PYRAMIDS AT GIZA; HATSHEPSUT, THE QUEEN WHO BECAME A PHARAOH; STATUES OF THE WARRIOR PHARAOHS, TUTMOSIS AND RAMESSES THE GREAT; AS WELL AS KING TUT'S FATHER AKHENATEN, THE PHARAOH WHO CHANGED EGYPT'S RELIGION TO THE WORSHIP OF ONE OMNIPOTENT SUN GOD. THE MAGNIFICENT GOLDEN DEATH MASK OF PSUSENNES I WILL ALSO BE ON DISPLAY. THE SPECTACULAR EXHIBITION ALSO SHOWCASES THE LARGEST LIKENESS OF KING TUT EVER DISCOVERED, A 10 FOOT STATUE OF THE PHARAOH FOUND AT THE REMAINS OF A FUNERARY TEMPLE. TUTANKHAMEN WILL BE ON VIEW IN THE 22,000 SQUARE FOOT UPPER BROWN PAVILION OF THE CAROLINE WIESS LAW BUILDING AT THE MFAH. ITS INTRODUCTION FEATURES A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY NARRATED BY AWARD WINNING ACTOR HARRISON FORD. THE FINAL GALLERIES ARE DEDICATED TO KING TUT'S TOMB, INCLUDING AN AREA DEVOTED TO ITS DISCOVERY BY BRITISH EXPLORER HOWARD CARTER IN 1922. THERE, VISITORS, WILL ENCOUNTER LEGENDARY TREASURES FROM THE TOMB'S ANTECHAMBER, ANNEX, TREASURY AND BURIAL CHAMBER IN CORRESPONDING GALLERIES.

SOBIESKI VODKA LAUNCHES THREE NEW FLAVORS

SOBIESKI VODKA, THE BRAND PARTIALLY OWNED AND PROMOTED BY BRUCE WILLIS, HAS ANNOUNCED THREE NEW FLAVORS INTO THEIR LINE UP. THEY ALREADY HAD CYTRON AND VANILLA FLAVORS BUT NOW HAVE CREATED SOBIESKI ORANGE, SOBIESKI KARAMEL AND SOBIESKI RASPBERRY. THEY ARE ALL NATURALLY FLAVORED, AND MADE, LIKE OTHER SOBIESKI FLAVORS, WITH DANKOWSKI RYE AT THE STARIGARD GDANSKI DISTILLERY. SOBIESKI KARAMEL CAN BE PAIRED WITH CREAM LIQUEURS OR ADD A KICK TO COFFEE. RASPBERRY AND ORANGE ARE MORE FAMILIAR FLAVORS MEANT TO CHALLENGE OTHERS IN THE MARKETPLACE. 'WE'D PUT OUR RASPBERRY AND OUR ORANGE AGAINST ANY OF OUR COMPETITORS IN A TASTES COMPETITION. KARAMEL IS A VERY UNIQUE FLAVOR THAT NOT MANY BRANDS HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH, AND WE ARE PROUD TO ADD IT TO THE SOBIESKI COLLECTION', SAYS TIMO SUTINEN, VP MARKETING & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, IMPERIAL BRANDS INC. THE VODKAS ARE PRICED AT $10.99 FOR A 750ml BOTTLE AND ARE AVAILABLE AT SELECT STORES WORLDWIDE.

IMA TO PRESENT MATERIAL WORLD

FROM COURT DRESSES TO COUTURE, THE OBJECTS IN MATERIAL WORLD, ON VIEW AT THE INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF ART (IMA), FROM 22.APRIL.2011 THROUGH TO 5.FEBRUARY.2012, WILL FEATURE EXTRAVAGANT ORNAMENTATION OF TEXTILES AND PERSONAL ADORNMENT FROM CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD WHILE HIGHLIGHTING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF TEXTILES IN DISPLAYING WEALTH, STATUS AND POWER. THE EXHIBITION WILL SHOWCASE ITEMS ADORNED WITH LUXURIOUS MATERIALS INCLUDING GOLD AND METALLIC THREADS, BEADS, SHELLS, MIRRORS, SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES, BONES, FUR AND FEATHERS, RANGING FROM A BUDDHIST BONE APRON TO DIOR AND CHANEL COUTURE PIECES, SPANNING SEVERAL CENTURIES TO THE PRESENT DAY. 'MATERIAL WORLD JUXTAPOSES EXOTIC TEXTILES FROM THE IMAs EXTENSIVE COLLECTION THAT ARE NOT TYPICALLY EXHIBITED TOGETHER, PROVIDING A RARE OPPORTUNITY FOR VISITORS', SAID A MUSEUM SPOKESMAN. 'THIS EXHIBITION UNITES SOME OF THE MUSEUM'S MOST DAZZLING PIECES TO ILLUSTRATE A THEME PREVALENT IN CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MATERIALISM AND WEALTH.' REPRESENTING A VARIETY OF CULTURES FROM ASIA, AFRICA, EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS, MATERIAL WORLD TRACES HOW DIFFERENT SOCIETIES USE LUXURIOUS MATERIALS IN RITUALS AND CUSTOMS. THE EXHIBITION WILL FEATURE ROYAL GARMENTS, PERSONAL ATTIRE AND FURNISHINGS, CEREMONIAL COSTUMES AND RELIGIOUS GARMENTS. AMONG THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EXHIBITION ARE AN INTRICATELY EMBROIDERED RUSSIAN COURT GOWN DESIGNED BY CHARLES FREDERICK WORTH, A NORMAN NORELL SEQUIN MERMAID DRESS, AN INDONESIAN SKIRT ADORNED WITH SHELLS, A BILL BLASS SNAKESKIN EVENING JACKET AND A GROUP OF FASHION AND CEREMONIAL FEATHERED HATS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.imamuseum.org

BONHAMS TO SELL 'WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE HAT'

BONHAMS & BUTTERFIELDS, SAN FRANSISCO, WILL BE HOSTING ITS FIRST SALE DEVOTED SOLELY TO OPALS, THE GEMSTONE KNOWN FOR ITS SOMETIMES FIERY, SOMETIMES MILKY HUES. ON 10.NOVEMBER, THE NATURE OF OPALS SALE WILL FEATURE A DIVERSE GROUP OF DISTINCTIVE JEWELRY, LOOSE STONES, MINERAL SPECIMENS, LAPIDARY WORKS OF ART, DECORATIVE OBJECTS, DECOR AND FOSSILS, ALL MADE FROM THE LUMINOUS GEM. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE SALE, HOWEVER, ISN'T A PRICEY PIECE OF JEWELRY, BUT RATHER A HAT, ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE TO BE OFFERED AT AUCTION, BONHAMS SAID IN A RECENT STATEMENT. DUBBED THE 'DEEP BLUE SEA', THE HAT IS CRAFTED FROM HAND-BLOCKED AUSTRALIAN FELT, EMBELLISHED WITH FEATHERS AND BEJEWELED WITH 26 OPALS WEIGHING APPROXIMATELY 1,447 CARATS AND MINED AT AUSTRALIA'S FAMED LIGHTING RIDGE. A COLLABORATION BETWEEN AUSTRALIAN MASTER MILLINER ANN MAREE WILLETT AND OPAL MINERS VICKI AND PETER DRACKETT, THE HAT WAS ALSO WORKED ON BY ACCLAIMED OPAL CARVERS DANIELA L'ABBATE AND CHRISTINE ROUSSEL AND FEATURES STERLING SILVER AND 18 CARAT GOLD SETTINGS BY MASTER GOLDSMITH GERD GEROLD SCHULZ. IT IS ESTIMATED AT BETWEEN $150,000 AND $200,000.

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART TO PRESENT 'GAUGUIN: MAKER OF MYTH'

THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON, WILL BE PRESENTING 'GAUGUIN: MAKER OF MYTH' THE FIRST MAJOR EXHIBITION OF HIS WORK SINCE 'THE ART OF PAUL GAUGUIN', THE GALLERY'S BLOCKBUSTER RETROSPECTIVE OF 1988-89 THAT TRAVELED TO CHICAGO AND PARIS. SOME 120 WORKS BY PAUL GAUGUIN (1848-1903), WHOSE USE OF POETIC NARRATIVE, MYTH AND FABLE THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER CONTINUES TO MESMERIZE AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE, WILL BE ON VIEW IN THE EAST BUILDING, 7.FEBRUARY THROUGH 5.JUNE.2011. THE STUNNING EXHIBITION EXPLORES THE MYTHS BEHIND THE MAN. THESE INCLUDE THE ROLE OF GAUGUIN AS STORYTELLER AND MYTH MAKER THROUGH HIS REINVENTION OR APPROPRIATION OF NARRATIVES AND MYTHS DRAWN FROM BOTH HIS EUROPEAN CULTURAL HERITAGE OR FROM MAORI LEGEND, HIS USE OF RELIGIOUS AND MYTHICAL SYMBOLS, AND THE MANIPULATION OF HIS OWN LIFE-CYCLE MYTHS, THE FEMME FATALE, VENUS, EVE AND TEMPTATION, THE NATIVITY AND THE NOBLE SAVAGE. REFLECTING GAUGUIN'S REMARKABLE BREATH, THE EXHIBITION WILL INCLUDE EXAMPLES FROM EVERY PERIOD (CIRCA 1880-1903), MEDIUM (PAINTING, WATERCOLOR, PASTEL, DRAWINGS AND PRINTS, CERAMIC AND WOODEN SCULPTURES, DECORATED FUNCTIONAL OBJECTS, WRITINGS, AND BOOKS), AND GENRE (PORTRAITURE, STILL LIFE AND LANDSCAPE). GAUGUIN WAS THE ULTIMATE GLOBAL TRAVELER, NOT JUST SAILING THE SOUTH SEAS BUT LIVING IN PERU, PARIS, MARTINIQUE AND TAHITI, AMONG OTHER PLACES. THE EXHIBITION FEATURES MANY OF HIS ICONIC PAINTINGS ON LOAN FROM AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING THOSE OF DAILY VILLAGE LIFE FROM THE ARTIST'S COLONY OF PONT-AVEN IN BRITTANY, SCENES OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP IN THE BRETON LANDSCAPE, AND DECORATIVE WORKS SUCH AS THE CARVED WOODEN DOOR PANELS FROM GAUGUIN'S HUT IN THE MARQUESAS ISLANDS IN FRENCH POLYNESIA, WHERE HE WENT TO ESCAPE EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION. INSPIRED BY TAHITI'S TROPICAL FLORA, FAUNA AND ISLAND LIFE, HE IMMERSED HIMSELF IN ITS FAST-DISAPPEARING MAORI CULTURE TO INVEST HIS ART WITH DEEPER MEANING, RITUAL AND MYTH.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT www.nga.gov

TONY CURTIS DIES AGED 85

TONY CURTIS, WHO STARRED ALONGSIDE MARILYN MONROE IN 'SOME LIKE IT HOT', HAS DIED AT TEH AGE OF 85. HOWEVER, HE WAS ALMOST AS WELL KNOWN FOR HIS COULOURFUL PRIVATE LIFE, DURING WHICH HE MARRIED SIX TIMES AND BATTLED AN ADDICTION TO COCAINE AND ALCOHOL. HE ONCE DESCRIBED HIMSELF AS 'THE BEST-LOOKING KID IN TOWN' ADDING 'IT'S NOT WHAT YOU HAVE BUT WHAT YOU DO WITH IT THAT COUNTS'. CURTIS TOOK ON BOTH DRAMATIC AND COMEDIC ROLES AND WAS OSCAR-NOMINATED FOR HIS PART IN THE DEFIANT ONES ALONGSIDE SYDNEY POITIER. HE ALSO APPEARED IN 'SPARTACUS' WITH KIRK DOUGLAS AND HIS HOLLYWOOD PEERS INCLUDED CARY GRANT AND FRANK SINATRA. SIR ROGER MOORE, WHO STARRED ALONGSIDE CURTIS IN 'THE PERSUADERS', LED TRIBUTES TO HIM SAYING: 'HE WAS A FINE ACTOR. I SHALL MISS HIM. WE HAD A FEW LAUGHS TOGETHER FOR ABOUT 15 MONTHS, WORKING TOGETHER EVERY DAY. HE WAS GREAT FUN TO WORK WITH, A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR AND WONDERFUL AD LIBS.' THE HOLLYWOOD STAR HAD BEEN IN FAILING HEALTH FOR SOME YEARS AND IN JULY HE WAS HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING TAKEN ILL IN LAS VEGAS WITH AN ASTHMA ATTACK. HE UNDERWENT HEART BYPASS SURGERY IN 1994 AND NEARLY DIED FOLLOWING A BOUT OF PNEUMONIA IN 2006. IN HIS LATER YEARS CURTIS BEGAN A SECOND CAREER AS A SUCCESSFUL ARTIST AND ONCE CLAIMED: 'PAINTING IS MORE MEANINGFUL TO ME THAN ANY PERFORMANCES I'VE EVER GIVEN.' HIS DAUGHTER JAMIE LEE CURTIS, BY THE ACTRESS JANET LEIGH, SAID: 'MY FATHER LEAVES BEHIND A LEGACY OF GREAT PERFORMANCES IN MOVIES AND IN HIS PAINTINGS AND ASSEMBLAGES. HE LEAVES BEHIND CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO LOVED HIM AND RESPECTED HIM AND A WIFE AND IN LAWS WHO WERE DEVOTED TO HIM. HE ALSO LEAVES BEHIND FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD. HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.'

MACALLAN LALIQUE CIRE PERDUE TO BE SOLD AT AUCTION

THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE BOTTLE OF WHISKEY, A ONE OF A KIND CRYSTAL LALIQUE DECANTER HOLDING THE OLDEST AND RAREST MACALLAN SINGLE MALT EVER, WILL BE AUCTIONED OFF BY SOTHEBY'S IN NEW YORK ON 16.NOVEMBER FOR AN ESTIMATED $150,000 OR MORE. THE MACALLAN IN LALIQUE CIRE PERDUE IS FILLED WITH 64 YEARS AND OLDER MACALLAN SINGLE MALT SCOTCH, VATTED TOGETHER FROM THREE SHERRY SEASONED SPANISH OAK CASKS. THE FAMED SPEYSUDE DISTILLERY COMMISSIONED THE LEGENDARY CRYSTAL ARTISAN TO CREATE THE STUNNING DECANTER USING THE ANCIENT 'CIRE PERDUE' OR 'LOST WAX' METHOD. PAINSTAKINGLY HAND CRAFTED BY LALIQUE EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE MACALLAN, AND INSPIRED BY THE BEAUTY OF THE MACALLAN'S 150 HECTARE ESTATE IN NORTH EASTERN SCOTLAND, IT'S BASED UPON A SHIP'S DECANTER OF THE 1820s. PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE WILL BE DONATED TO CHARITY: WATER, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION BRINGING CLEAN WATER AND SAFE DRINKING WATER TO PEOPLE IN DEVELOPING NATIONS.