Hello Kitty is known for many things, from being a forever third-grader to a Scorpio and a lover of apple pie. Now, she can add Egyptology enthusiast to her list, thanks to a recent collaboration with the British Museum.
Kitty White, despite hailing from the outskirts of London, is featured in the "Egyptian Adventure Pop-up Store" alongside England’s foremost museum of human history and culture, currently touring East China.
When it comes to building a brand in China and harnessing the post-80s and post-90s demand for cultural IP products, the British Museum is unmatched among its European and North American peers.
Aided by its partnership with Chinese licensing experts Alfilo Brands, the museum has developed a strong social media presence on WeChat and Weibo. Furthermore, it avails its gift shop goodies (Rosetta Stone everything) to Chinese consumers on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms Tmall and Taobao, and livestreams its ancient world wonders to audiences thousands of miles away, the most recent of which drew more than 300,000 viewers.
The open-air exhibition features official recreations of the museum’s Egyptian holdings, with Hello Kitty making appearances in the guises of Egyptian deities. This immersive experience recreates an open-air Egyptian temple structure in the heart of Suzhou’s largest shopping mall, complete with miniature pyramids topping some of the structures.
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Integrated alongside these historically accurate reproductions are Hello Kitty IPs. The full range of British Museum x Hello Kitty merchandise - from stationery to ceramic mugs - is available to purchase at the pop-up store.
Fans in Shanghai are presented with a limited edition set of crossover collectibles to purchase including phone cases, mugs, and miniatures.
An Introduction to Ancient Egypt at the British Museum
Ancient Egyptian Discoveries and Symbolism
Excavation of an ancient city of the dead in Aswan, Egypt, recently uncovered pieces of a sarcophagus lid that had been decorated with the colorful face of a leopard. Archaeologists have released the first image showing a digital reconstruction of the artwork fragment, found in a necropolis containing 300 tombs and dating to the seventh century B.C.
In the image, most of the big cat's wide-eyed face is visible. When the lid rested on the sarcophagus, the head of the leopard would have aligned with the head of the mummy inside, representatives of the University of Milan said in a statement.
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In ancient Egyptian society, leopards represented determination and power; the animal's representation in the tomb was likely intended to strengthen the spirit of the recently deceased for the journey to the land of the dead, according to the statement.
The necropolis that housed the leopard sarcophagus was in use for approximately 1,000 years - until the fourth century A.D. A nearby tomb held another extraordinary find: a bowl holding plant material that turned out to be pine nuts.
The collaboration between Hello Kitty and the British Museum offers a unique blend of modern pop culture and ancient history, appealing to a wide audience and fostering interest in Egyptology.
Key Facts:
| Entity | Details |
|---|---|
| Hello Kitty | Collaborating with the British Museum on an Egyptian-themed pop-up store. |
| British Museum | Partnering with Alfilo Brands to expand its presence in China. |
| Exhibition | Features recreations of Egyptian artifacts and Hello Kitty as Egyptian deities. |
| Merchandise | Includes stationery, mugs, phone cases, and miniatures. |
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