Lichtgedanken 05

Rubrik 60 Mummy of the Pharaoh Ramesses II This photograph from the Alphons Stübel Collec- tion of Early Photographs from the Orient shows the head of Mummy Ramesses II. The Egyptian Pharaoh ruled from 1279 to 1213 BC. The paper print was made by the egyptologist Emile Brugsch and is almost two and a half centimetres by two and a half centimetres in size. Brugsch discovered numerous mummies in 1881, including those of Ramesses II and had them brought to the Museum of Cairo. This and other photos were taken in Cairo and were put on sale. The photo was added to the collection belonging to the geologist Alphons Stübel and came into the possession of the Univer- sity Jena at the beginning of the 20th century. The picture was displayed as part of the »The innocent eye. Orient pictures in early photography (1839 to 1911)« exhibition in the University of Göttingen Art Collection in 2017. Shoulder blade of a bowhead whale This right shoulder blade of a bowhead whale, which measures over one metre by one metre in size, dates back to the mid-17th century. It is one of the oldest and most important objects from the collection of the Phyletic Museum. Despite its original anatomical position, the piece was pla- ced »upside down« for painting. The date of the painting can be seen at the top; it is from 1646. Below you can see a locket with a white stork. The painting shows a whaling scene. The old- Dutch lettering on the edge of the shoulder blade says: »door gods zorggende hangt vangtmen de walfisch ande noortkant«. This means: »With God’s careful hand, the whale is captured at the northern edge«. This »northern edge« probably refers to the Arctic ice shelf. The whale shoulder blade can be seen in the permanent exhibition at the Phyletic Museum.