‘Tomb 10A’ lets you look history right in the face

There are two extremely fine and fascinating pieces in the show, both of which have been valued - and displayed - by the MFA since it received them. One is the famous Bersha coffin (named for the place it was discovered), with its exquisitely painted wooden surfaces - long regarded as the finest Middle Kingdom coffin ever discovered. The other is a beautifully carved and painted procession of four figures - three women and one man. In terms of craftsmanship, it stands out from the dozens of other more rudimentary models of boats, farming, and industrial activity.

But none of the objects has quite as much power to haunt and beguile as the mummified head that has a room almost to itself at the heart of the show (the room, we’re told, has the same proportions as Tomb 10A).

We do not know if it is the head of Djehutynakht or the head of his wife. But even behind glass, with its tattered exterior surface, its pursed lips, closed eyes and painted-on eyebrows, it radiates a kind of calm that is inexpressibly moving.

The head, which had been violently wrenched from the body by ancient tomb robbers, has recently been the subject of a great deal of attention, in the form of advanced computerized tomography, or CT, imaging. This imagery can be seen on an adjacent plasma screen. Some will no doubt be fascinated by it; I personally found it an annoying distraction, and the one major disappointment in an otherwise terrific presentation.