Mamamia Recommends: Canberra's new exhibition celebrating feminine power through the ages.

In December 2022, the National Museum of Australia launched its new exhibition, Feared and Revered: Feminine Power through the Ages, in collaboration with the British Museum – and it's all about exploring female power from the last 5,000 years. 

Throughout history, strong females have seismically influenced and defined society – from Mother Mary and Beyoncé, to other known figures like goddesses, demons, witches, spirits and saints who have shaped our world in different eras.  

Featuring 160 objects from the British Museum’s exceptional collection, this is a timely exhibition that explores and questions feminine power, authority and identity like you've never seen before.

What is the National Museum of Australia’s Feared and Revered about? 

The National Museum's new exhibition, Feared and Revered: Feminine Power through the Ages takes a look at some of the most powerful and influential female beings in the ancient and modern world. These treasures from the British Museum allow us to discuss the historic and contemporary representations of female power and authority.

Figure of Guanyin, China, about 1700–1722 CE. Image: © Trustees of the British Museum, 2022.

With 160 objects on display to observe, spanning six continents and 5,000 years – it's a rare opportunity to immerse oneself in the exceptional history of female power, authority and identity. 

Come for the…

This is a unique opportunity to witness a rare and exceptional display of female empowerment and history. Although it's easy to see history through a conceptual lens, Feared and Revered dives deep into the supernatural and spiritual aspects of history that's often overlooked. 

In this exhibition, we get to see how there were many faces of feminine power and ownership – from deranged to creative, and from spiritual to hell-bent – that influenced and defined the stories of our world's history. 

Amulet, perhaps of Sekhmet, Egypt, 900–700 BCE. Image: © Trustees of the British Museum, 2022.

Stay for the...

Eye-opening and informative take on ancient and modern history. The exhibition is divided into five fascinating themes:

• Creation and Nature
• Passion and Desire
• Magic and Malice
• Justice and Defence
• Compassion and Salvation

Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahisha, India, 1400–1500 CE. Image: © Trustees of the British Museum, 2022.

It's also an extraordinary opportunity to witness for yourself female spiritual beings ranging all the way from Neolithic statuettes to contemporary art in the modern era.

What’s so unique about it?

There are monuments spanning over 5,000 years including the Egyptian goddess of war and destruction (from the 18th century!) and exquisitely carved statues including the carnelian Hellenistic ring featuring the head of Medusa with snakes in her hair. 

There are even manuscripts from the Book of the Dead – a beautifully illustrated publication that survived almost 3000 years. In another incredible part of the exhibition, you'll get to see a costume worn by Kylie Minogue during her 2011 Aphrodite: Les Folies tour, alongside a classical marble statue of Aphrodite known as Venus by the Romans.

Antefix, Capua, Campania, Italy, about 500 BCE. Image: © Trustees of the British Museum, 2022.

To witness female ancestral figures and favoured cultural embodiments of the divine, there are costumes, statues and figurines that have managed to live into the modern era and are not to be missed. 

Why does Mamamia recommend it? 

A visit to Canberra's National Museum is an incredible, and frankly rare, opportunity to see feminine statues and artefacts up close for the first time. 

From unique and previously unseen icons and figures, there's an opportunity to learn about female history through the unique lens of gender identity and femininity. The combination of unique, ancient cultures and beliefs is truly unlike anything else we’ve been able to explore without the help of the National Museum of Australia. 

Figure of Chamunda, India, 1000–1100 CE. Image: © Trustees of the British Museum, 2022.

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity shows an exceptional collection from 2800 BCE to the present day - meaning there is a piece of history that everyone will find absolutely fascinating. 

On top of that, out of the 160 objects from the British Museum's collection, only 13 have ever been seen in Australia before. The National Museum will also exhibit around 80 additional objects that did not display in the British Museum’s version of the show in London.

Okay, what's the practical stuff I need to know?

The Feared and Revered: Feminine Power through the Ages exhibition at the National Museum of Australia displays 160 ancient artefacts throughout history and brings to life a rich and diverse culture, spanning over 5,000 years and six continents.

The exhibition recently launched in December 2022 and is on display until August 2023 – a nine-month period. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity shows an exceptional collection from 2800 BCE to the present day.

Venture through the Creation and Nation area, or find yourself daring to explore the bold display of Magic and Malice objects. Either way, this will be an exhibition you'll be talking about for years to come. 

And if you're up for it, there are nine other glorious exhibitions to explore that showcase our beautiful country's history and other regions and continents with breathtaking, harrowing and incredible stories to tell from eras gone by.

The Feared and Revered: Feminine Power through the Ages exhibition is currently on show at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra from now until August 27. 

Feature Image: ‘Queen of the Night’ relief, Iraq, about 1750 BCE. © Trustees of the British Museum, 2022/National Museum of Australia/Instagram/@nationalmuseumofaustralia