The University of Tartu Art Museum

The best of antique on one exhibition

At the permanent exhibition of the art museum located in the main building of the University of Tartu, you can get acquainted with the best works of ancient art and real mummies.

The permanent exhibition includes original-size, plaster copies of the best sculptures of Greek archaic, classical, and Hellenistic periods. These were purchased for the University of Tartu Art Museum in the 1860s from museums in England, Germany, France, and Italy to contribute to students’ knowledge of art, history, and culture. There is also an original death mask of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, of which there are only two known in the world, on display in the permanent exhibition.

In the mummy chamber of the museum, visitors will find two real Egyptian mummies, as well as the mummy of a dog. The walls of the room are decorated with murals inspired by Egyptian tombs, telling stories about the afterlife desired by the ancient Egyptians, and the rituals associated with their funerals. You can get acquainted with the fascinating models of sarcophagus and canopies which, upon closer examination, reveal how and what these were used for.