Days of the Dead: Celebration, Commemoration, Cult

6th Jun 2002 - 14th Jul 2002

Days of the Dead: Celebration, Commemoration, Cult brought together a remarkable range of objects from many cultures, both ancient and modern, to explore attitudes towards death.

Hairdresser Figure Courtesy Cambridge University Musuem of Archaeology and Anthropology Read more »

Mummy-portrait of a youth Egypt Read more »

Facing our own mortality and remembering the lives of others were just two of the themes of this exhibition. From the West African coffin in the shape of the a luxury car to the Peruvian mummy bundle, the contemporary photography of Victor Carroll to Queen Victoria’s mourning stockings, the exhibits illustrated the wide variety of objects associated with the rituals of death and the celebration of peoples’ lives.

Care was taken to treat this sensitive subject thoughtfully and imaginatively, offering a fresh perspective on the ‘last taboo’.

With support from The John Lewis Partnership.