North Carolina Museum of Art | Untitled

The Golden Boy has been precisely conserved, but now he’s currently homeless…or should I say between homes.

His old 1980’s Plexiglas mount and case, with the garish turquoise color scheme, was so last dynasty that it had to go! The mount that was “tailor” made for him in the last century was damaging his fragile parts and doing no justice to the beauty of his classic ensemble. It was time for the Art Services Team to step in and coordinate a whole new look for Golden Boy and unlike Design on a Dime or Trading Spaces, this would require a specialized collaboration not seen since the pyramids at Giza.

The Great Team:
1 Exhibit Designer
1 Mount Maker
1 Conservation Tech/Seamstress
1 Curator (who has actually been to Egypt)

Objective: A once in a lifetime chance to create a safe and stylish new home for a precious artifact that is beloved by the visitors of the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Solution: Create a mummy for the missing mummy.

That’s right. The solution is to re-create a body form that would replicate the missing mummy that these wonderful objects were originally attached to. It’s a fabulous idea, but believe me it’s no small task! This approach is new for us and the mounting system will aid in communicating how these objects were used in real life without additional explanation. You get it right away. This was a real person, a real body; we don’t have to tell you in a label because you can see it for yourself.

Please note that this will not look like a fake mummy—no wrapped bandages and no fake body parts—as the body form will serve as the primary support system or mount as it did in ancient Egypt and with a style befitting the Golden Boy himself.

As for that turquoise color scheme…well it’s been banished for eternity!

Golden Boy’s new home, in the new Egyptian Gallery, is almost as grand as the place he’s from. Stay tuned to see the transformation happen!