The ancient Egyptian exhibition Secrets of the Afterlife will open at the WA Museum in May in the latest instalment of the Perth institution's five-year partnership with the British Museum.

Secrets of the Afterlife will present more than 100 ancient Egyptian artefacts from the British Museum, including mummies, coffins and other funereal objects associated with the journey ancient Egyptians believed they took through the afterlife.

The oldest artefact, a model set of tools used to open the mouth during embalming, is 4500 years old. The exhibition also features Books of the Dead, a "road map of spells to navigate the afterlife".

The exhibition runs from May 17 to September 22.