Quote

ROYAL ALBERT MEMORIAL MUSEUM, EXETER

Of particular historical interest is the collection given by J.C. Bowring (1821-93). It is one of the earliest acquisitions that has a good provenance. J.C. Bowring accompanied his father (Sir) John Bowring (1792-1872, see DNB entry) on his governmental fact-finding mission to Egypt in 1837-8. This resulted in the detailed economic Report on Egypt 1823-38. (reprinted by Triade Exploration, 1998). During his stay in Cairo, Bowring worked closely with the British Consul General, Col. Patrick Campbell. Together, they made representations to Muhamed Ali on the abolition of the slave trade, using Arthur Todd Holroyd's 'Report on Nubia, Soodan, Kordofan &c' as supporting evidence (Holroyd's report is attached, as one of its Appendices, to Bowring's).

The Bowrings' association with Campbell also produced objects now in the RAMM, including a small collection from 'Campbell's tomb' at Giza, mainly pottery, with a couple of small bronzes. Together with Col. Howard Vyse and Giovanni Caviglia, Campbell collaborated on excavations in the vicinity of the pyramids at Giza in 1837. Amongst their discoveries was a shaft tomb of the 26th Dynasty (650-525 BC) now known as 'Campbell's tomb'. Being 'late' this tomb has attracted relatively little interest from Egyptologists. Bowring's collection also includes a rather nice marble Jupiter-Serapis, along with a box labelled "hair from the bottom of the pyramids". The Vyse-Campbell 'excavations' did involve further work inside the Great Pyramid, but it remains to be determined whether the Bowrings were actively involved in the exploration, or whether the objects were a gift from Campbell.