Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art

Animals played vital roles within the lives and afterlives of ancient Egyptians whether as pets, sources of food, or as symbols of the gods. Millions of animals were mummified and interred over 4,000 years, and yet, this important facet of Egyptian culture has not been widely studied, exhibited, or understood. Using art history, archaeology, and forensic science to contextualize these ancient devotional practices, Soulful Creatures is the first major exhibition to focus on the mummification of animals. Drawn entirely from the Brooklyn Museum’s renowned Egyptian Collection, this exhibition presents mummies of cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, and more in context with artifacts portraying the relationships between ancient Egyptians, animals, and their gods.