Hadass — Peel Journal

Keeping up with the Klassics

By - Hadass Rozental

This research project tells the story of the Gilded Coffin of Nedjemankh, which was once displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The coffin was looted during the Egyptian Arab Spring of 2011, and was later exported illegally amidst the worst economic crisis Egypt ever suffered. The Met acquired it in 2017 from an antiquities dealer, oversighting the inconsistencies in its history.

In an incredibly ridiculous and a ridiculously incredible turn of events, the coffin’s fraudulent provenance was discovered after Kim Kardashian posed with it at the 2018 Met Gala photo op. The photo–showcasing Kim’s and the Coffin’s twinning looks–went viral.

These looks, however, weren’t so coincidental: Kim wore a custom Versace dress, designed by Donatella Versace who was hosting (and funding) this year’s Gala and Heavenly Bodies exhibition. The dress was part of a tribute collection, marking 20 years since the murder of Gianni Versace. Gianni’s last couture collection, shown a week before his murder, was inspired by artifacts he himself saw at the Met. The golden dress perfectly hugged Kim’s body, just in time for the launch of her new perfume, bottled in her very own shape.

As for the coffin, after the case was closed and done, it was discovered that the forged papers had several anachronistic mistakes that should’ve raised some flags during the Met’s due diligence. Researching the Met’s open database reveals that it continues its practice of conveniently purchasing
artifacts from crisis- struck areas.

The video, in the medium of a reality TV show, is a non-didactic attempt to portray what is real and what isn’t, matters of self-presentation, and surprising discoveries. The work is accompanied by a website offering revised entries for the Met Collection. The presentation was complemented by an installation consisting of dressmaking patterns made for Kim’s measurements, and measured by the chronocartographies of Nedjemankh, Kim herself, and Versace on a planetary scale.