Yesterday, I had a monumental day. I saw the Tut Exhibition at the de Young. So much better than the last time the exhibition was in San Francisco. Instead of being herded along in groups, allowed to stop at each artifact for only seconds, we were allowed to view the Tut at our own pace. We could stop as long as we wished to admire individual items of interest.

At over $30 a ticket, you would think cost might discourage attendance. Not a bit. In spite of limited numbers of visitors at any one time, the exhibit was crowded. We had tickets for the first showing at 9:00 am. Because one of our party was using a walker and a second was using a cane, we were allowed to descend to the viewing area by elevator, effectively putting us at the head of the line. But because we were moving slowly we were quickly enveloped. We had audio devices that let us listen to information about the exhibits as we moved through.

It is incredible to think that the creation and decoration of these items was done with human hands more than 3,000 years ago without the benefit of modern equipment. How many hours it must have taken an artisan to polish a stone sculpture to a mirror finish. The gold work and the colors and gems made the items seem other worldly. My favorite items were a set of four ungent vessels. They were of white alabaster, carved with exquisit detail. The lids of all four protrayed a different animal head, and one of the vessels actually had a carved goat's head extending from the front of the vessel.

If you are in the Bay Area it is worth the time and money to visit the Tut Exhibition. If not, and it comes to a city near you, make an effort to view this extraordinary showing.