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Win a Prize? Guess how much…

Posted on Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 9:36 am

These are 3000-lb, lion-headed godesses, 14th century BC,  from Thebes

WALTERS ANCIENT EGYPT GALLERY

The prize is a one-year membership in THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM, with all the substantial rights and benefits that accrue thereto.  Like free entry to museums all over the country, and discounts at local restaurants.  Plus, best of all, free admission to ticketed shows at the WAM, and to all its great programs. And, of course, our members help keep the Walters’ permanent collections free for the public!

Anyhow, Henry Walters bought six Sekhmets in his lifetime. These are 3000-lb, lion-headed godesses, 14th century BC,  from Thebes. Like the two in the picture.

But he gave them all to the MET in New York!  Well, he lived there (in NYC), was VP of the MET at the time, and they’re pretty heavy and hard to move.

The British Museum has something like 33 Sekhmets, but shows only a few.  So we asked the BM: can we borrow two of yours for 10 years?  Yes, they said, but you have to pay to get them from our store room in London to your gallery in Baltimore.

Fair enough.

So, the contest is easy: how much did that cost?  All inclusive.

And like “The Price is Right,” the winning guess will be that one closest to the actual cost, without going over.

GV

PS: If I’ve told you the answer over the years, please sit on your hands.

Filed in: Art, Baltimore, Henry Walters, Museums, Uncategorized.



 

816 Responses

  1. Gary Vikan

    THE ANSWER IS $30,000 net/net.

    Which means that Kylie Won! At $27,000.

    So, Kylie, just contact me at the Walters to get your FREE MEMBERSHIP.

  2. Carroll

    $11,002

  3. Scott

    $17,551

  4. camille l

    going to say $9,578.00

  5. Sherry Mitchell

    $1,315,000 USD

  6. Bob

    After some careful ciphering (read: pretty random guess), I’ll say $72,000 USD

  7. Gary Vikan

    Yes, Laura, they are on loan.

    More are over than under.

    The contest closes Saturday AM.

    Gary Vikan

  8. carol L

    $1

  9. Kira

    17,550

  10. Laura

    Are they on loan?

  11. J. Kelly Lane

    including insurance, packing, shipping my guess would be $225,100

  12. Kylie

    27,000

  13. Chris

    $70,000

  14. Tina

    $37,250

  15. John Rickard

    $1,314,769.00

  16. rOb

    $17,000

  17. Liz

    I’ll throw in a guess of $55,400.

  18. Mark

    $32,501

  19. John

    $90,000

  20. Ryan

    I’ll take $11,001, Bob.

  21. amanda

    I guess $25000, give or take a thousand.

  22. steve b

    I guess insurance for the priceles items is more than raw shipping cost. And they had to pack it very carefully. I guess: $120,000.

  23. David

    guessing $54,000

  24. Matt

    Let’s see. Shipping FedEx, they only allow 2200 lbs for a quote through their website, and that would be $4285 international economy freight. So for 6000 lbs (if they are each 3000 lbs), maybe they would give you a deal and make it an even $11000 (instead of $11686)?

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  • About Gary Vikan

    Gary Vikan, director of the Walters Art Museum since 1994, has been with the Baltimore institution for more than 20 years. A native of Minnesota, Gary received his B.A. from Carleton College in 1967 and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1976 before working as Senior Associate for Byzantine Art Studies at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C.

    An internationally known medieval art scholar, Gary has curated many significant exhibitions at the Walters, and has published and lectured on the early Christian pilgrimage, medicine and magic, icons, the Shroud of Turin, neuroscience and aesthetics, and Elvis Presley. His most recent book, Early Byzantine Pilgrimage Art, will be published in 2010 by Dumbarton Oaks; he is currently working on a book-length study titled Pilgrimage to Graceland.

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