EGYPT AND ITS MUMMIES AT THE N.Z. EXPOSITION.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVI, Issue 22, 2 June 1906, Page 31

EGYPT AND ITS MUMMIES AT THE N.Z. EXPOSITION.

The following admirably told story has bren sent us irom Los Angeles by .Mr. Alim Kelly, the American juuruah-., who recently lourtd the colonies. One of the attractions ui the Christchurch Exposition will be an Egyptian village, in which will be shown ancient and modern life on the Nile. Egypt suggests mummies, ami .he promoteis oi Tne scheme are going io have miuum.eenough to satisiy tne most exacting r-g\ ptologist. -or. Eisner, of Lo» Angeles, is making twenty mummies io* the New Zealand Exposition, and tne ancient caskets an winch tiiev will be shown are be*ng made in Auckland. Air. fisher has men a maker of antiquities lor many years, but lie has tired of the trade, and .he New Zealand order t s the last he intends to till. Toe foundation or a mummy consists of a board and a piaster cast of a skull. The supei structure is composed of burlap, cot.on batting, and glu.. Curled wood shat mgs, called “excelsior,* are used for till.ng. It tne mummy is to be shown under gla- s and in a casket, Mr. Fisher uses only excelsior and burlap in building the legs and arms, and strips of bamboo for exuposed ribs. He usually k-aves a hole in the side to expose a rib or two. When the mummy is likely to be subjected to critical examination, Mr. Fisner pays more attention to detail, models the hands and feet, and attaches nails, made oi cow horn shavings. Cotton batting, laid on in layers with glu. , makes an excellent imitation of dried ana wrinkled skin, deceiving even to the touch. Fisher has been working in public on the New Zealand job lot of prehistoric Egyptian-, and hundreds of per-

-«»n- have visited his shop ami watched the whole process while lis:ening to his frank descript'on of his trade. He learned taxid>rmy and clay-modelling to -tan with, and drift-d into the business of manufacturing ancient ieli<-. He hamade lens of Indian rear-. -one implement-. pipe-, tomahawks, ar club-, Iron

and copper tools and ornaments, and his handiwork may be *e . n in most of the museums and private collection- in Amt rival ami Europe. Hi- niummie- have been exhibited all over the country, an I many of them are cherish d a- genuine relics of pa-t age- by proud collet- .»rIn addition t«» the twentv < rdiiru\ mum

mics. Fisht r i.as made a nine foot giant for the Xew Zealand Exposition. The material for a plain mummy cost* sixty •flits, and alwni hah a da\ i* r. quired to build .t. The giant required six shillings* worth of raw material. .in I Fishei devoivd aliout two days to tin- work. ALLEN KELLY.