Finding collections relating to d/Deaf, disabled and neurodiverse people

One of the aims of our project is to make collections relating to d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people more visible – and to share some of the objects our Fellows and Trainees are discovering.

Some will have quite obvious connections to disabled people’s lives – a walking stick, some braille or images of disabled people. But we will also be exploring less obvious connections too. Sometimes the significance of an object is its owner; its part in a bigger story, or the way someone with lived experience of disability has responded to it. In this way we hope to broaden the ways that d/Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent stories are told.

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MOULD OF BES (Mould)

Amarna Period (1353 - 1336 BCE)

AN1893.1-41.702

This small mould is used for the creation of figurines depicting the Egyptian god Bes, who is shown here facing towards the viewer, naked and squatting, his muscles and scowling face visible. It is part of the free Ashmolean Museum display "Fashioning Bodies in the Ancient World", curated by Kyle Lewis Jordan (Curating for Change...

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Rights information: Copyright: Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Description

This small mould is used for the creation of figurines depicting the Egyptian god Bes, who is shown here facing towards the viewer, naked and squatting, his muscles and scowling face visible. It is part of the free Ashmolean Museum display "Fashioning Bodies in the Ancient World", curated by Kyle Lewis Jordan (Curating for Change Fellow, Ashmolean Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum), running from 10th November 2023 - 8th May 2024.

A unique aspect of Bes' presentation is that, unlike the majority of Egyptian art, he is quite often portrayed with a front-facing profile as opposed to the typical side-facing profile. This means that Bes is always engaged with the real world, keeping a watchful eye for any untoward forces who may be a threat to those in his care.

Meet our Fellows and Trainees

The Curating for Change project is running eight Fellowships over 18 months and eight Traineeships over 40 days based across 20 partner museums. Learn more about our Fellows and Trainees here.

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