Christie’s New York will regale lovers of the Ancient World with an Antiquities extravaganza comprising three superb sales, spread out over two consecutive sale days. On December 8, the seventh edition of the highly successful Ancient Jewellery sale will take place, offering ancient luxury with a modern look. On December 9, the traditional Antiquities sale will be preceded by Ancient Egyptian Art from the Harer Family Trust Collection, a splendid private collection of Egyptian art.

Ancient Jewellery — Status, luxury, beauty, emotion — each piece of jewellery has its story attached. Versatile as they are, these pieces continuously reinvent themselves and what was a nobleman’s golden device to close his cloak will in a next life become some superbly elegant lady’s evening brooch. Browsing through the catalogue of the Ancient Jewellery sale reveals a world of amazing elegance and exquisite craftsmanship, while each of the pieces have their own reflection in the mirror of history. Highlights of the sale include a suite of Achaemenid gold jewellery, circa early 5th century B.C. (lot 41, estimate: $80,000-120,000); a Greek gold and garnet snake armband, Hellenistic Period, circa late 4th – 3rd century B.C. (lot 52, estimate: $25,000-35,000) and a Greek blue chalcedony scaraboid, Classical Period, circa 4th century B.C. (lot 47, estimate: $20,000-30,000) in the category of more expensive pieces. Easy holiday gifts include a pair of Roman gold and pearl earrings, circa 2nd century A.D. (lot 93, estimate: $1,000-1,500); a Roman gold and eye agate finger ring, circa first century A.D. (lot 77, estimate: $1,200-1,800) and a fascinating group of Egyptian scarabs and amulets, Middle Kingdom to Roman Period, 2040 B.C. – 100 A.D. (lot 30, estimate: $2,500-3,500)...

Ancient Jewellery, Ancient Egyptian Art at Christie's, Iranian Cultural Heritage News Agency, Iran, November 29, 2005.

cf. Ancient Jewelry, Ancient Egyptian Art at Christie's, Art Daily, Mexico, November 29, 2005.

A mystery surrounding the death of one of the Hancock Museum's ancient residents is under investigation following a visit from world renowned Egyptologist Dr Joann Fletcher.

The mummy of Irt Irw, which dates back to 664-525BC, was found in a tomb near Thebes, Egypt.

Estimated to be aged between 30 and 40 years old she was first unwrapped during an autopsy in 1830 by three local doctors who removed 22.5 kg of bandages from her...

Mystery Mummy, N-e-life.com, UK, November 24, 2005.

In the cloisters of University College London in Bloomsbury is an unforgettable sight: the glass-fronted cabinet containing the Auto-Icon — philosopher and reformer Jeremy Bentham's bodily remains from 1832.

The Auto-Icon consists of a waxen head atop Bentham's skeleton clothed in one of his suits and arranged in the manner stipulated in his will — posed as he sat when thinking. One of his ideas was a prison surveillance system, the Panopticon — an octagonal tower with one-way vision so the warder could see into a surrounding octagon of cells but not be seen.

This was one inspiration behind Sarah Beddington's transformation of a security guard's kiosk in the cloisters into an art installation, the Panoptiscope.

It was commissioned to mark the move in 2008 of UCL's Petrie Museum from its current location in a former stables into a custom-built gallery in the college.

Beddington inspired by Bentham, Hampstead & Highgate Express, UK, November 18m, 2005.

The new King Tut exhibit coming to Fort Lauderdale's Museum of Art next month revisits an old discussion that has burned for decades: What did ancient Egyptians look like?

The exhibit, which runs Dec. 15 to April 23, features computer-generated re-creations of Tut that some activists say portray the young king with white features.

The opening of the exhibit in Los Angeles sparked protests in June. Though the event hasn't created a stir among black activists in South Florida, some agree that the new computer renderings of Tut that are part of the Fort Lauderdale exhibit, which has sold more than 275,000 tickets already, fail to portray him with Afrocentric traits...

Tut exhibit fails to face facts, some scholars say, Miami Herald, Florida, USA, November 25, 2005.

Egypt and Britain next Sunday will celebrate the passing of 83 years since discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun (King Tut), said Thursday Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA).

In a press statement, SCA's Secretary-General Dr. Zahi Hawass said Egyptian and British cultural organizations will celebrate the discovery, which was made in 1922, through a number of activities, including a screening of a documentary regarding the king who ruled Egypt during 1332-1322 BCE.

The celebration at the Egyptian Museum, he explained, will include a photo exhibition of the tomb and the process of its discovery, adding that although Tutankhamun was somewhat of a minor king in comparison to other rulers, the treasures found in his tomb made him quite a noteworthy pharaoh.

To share King Tut's heritage with others, 50 of the tomb's major artefacts are being shown at international exhibitions, such as in the US, Germany, Switzerland and Britain.

King Tut belonged to the 18th dynasty that ruled Egypt throughout 1539-1292.

Egypt, Britain to celebrate discovering King Tut's tomb, Kuwait News Agency, Kuwait, November 24, 2005.