[HUBUB OF EXCITED KIDS’ VOICES]

JO LOH: Hi, I’m Jo. These kids from PS 150 have come to explore the Egyptian Collection with me and our Egyptologist, Isabel.

ISABEL STUENKEL: Come and join our group!

[HUBUB OF EXCITED KIDS’ VOICES]

JO LOH: In this case, we see some pretty interesting things. What do we see in the case?

ALTOGETHER: Jewelry!

JO LOH: Yeah.

EXPLORER ONE: I see like toes and the tops of toes and fingers and sandals and jewelry.

EXPLORER TWO: They would feel uncomfortable. And if you had to do running or do any physical activity, you would have to take them off because it would probably hurt your feet.

EXPLORER THREE: It looks uncomfortable, but it looks, at the same time, really nice. So, … I wouldn't wear them to school so, I guess, parties?

JO LOH: So, in fact, these weren't worn every day. They were worn only on one special occasion. What do you think that one special occasion was?

EXPLORER ONE: Ceremonies?

EXPLORER FOUR: Funerals?

EXPLORER FIVE: Your own funeral.

ISABEL STUENKEL: All the jewelry on this side is funerary jewelry. So it was worn by the mummy. And if you think about it, the covers for the toes and fingers would make your skin look gold. And gold was thought to last forever. Sometimes even the skin of the gods was said to be made out of gold. So everybody wanted to have their skin like the gods. How many different people do you think this jewelry belonged to?

ALTOGETHER: Three.

ISABEL STUENKEL: Exactly, because we have three sets of sandals. And this jewelry belonged to three women, three queens. They were the wives of an Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III but we know they were not from Egypt. And it was very common for an Egyptian king to have several wives, not just one, and also to have marriages with foreign women to maintain good relationships with foreign countries.

Now, some of you have looked at some jewelry on the opposite side, Can you maybe describe the difference?

EXPLORER SIX: These objects in front of us was for funerals. But I think, on the other side, they were for maybe happier things, maybe like parties, or maybe just to wear in daily life.

JO LOH: Why don’t we go over and take a look? See if you can see the differences between the jewelry that the queens wore in life—or in death. And, look for some jewelry with cats. When you find the cats, press PLAY to hear more.