http://web.ukonline.co.uk/gavin.egypt/architec.

htm

•Throughout the history of painting, from prehistoric cave drawings to more

sophisticated relief drawings on temple walls, Egyptian mythological murals.

•Some of the painted scenes on pottery vessels continue, during the Predynastic period, to
reflect the prehistoric rock-carvings

•Jewelry has played various roles in ancient Egypt. In addition to man's natural attraction
to beautiful items, jewelry had a religious and magical significance in the
Egyptian ancient world by protecting the wearer from evil.

•Ancient Egyptians began making their jewelry during the Badari and Naqada eras from
simple natural materials; for example, plant branches, shells, beads, solid stones
or bones. These were arranged in threads of flax or cow hair. To give these stones
some brilliance, Egyptians began painting them with glass substances. Since the
era of the First Dynasty, ancient Egyptians were skilled in making jewelry from
solid semiprecious stones and different metals such as gold and silver. The art of
goldsmithing reached its peak in the Middle Kingdom, when Egyptians mastered
the technical methods and accuracy in making pieces of jewelry. During the New
Kingdom, goldsmithing flourished in an unprecedented way because of regular
missions to the Eastern Desert and Nubia to extract metals. These substances were
processed and inlaid with all sorts of semiprecious stones found in Egypt; for
example, gold, turquoise, agate, and silver.

Jewelry was used in daily life throughout the Pharaonic era until the Roman times.
Egyptians were keen to keep a good number of jewelry pieces in the tomb; these were
placed on the body of the deceased. A large number of such jewelry was found in tombs;
for example, wreaths, crowns, or hair bands. On the head or wig, they fixed different
types of ornaments, such as small roses, golden bands, and some simple bands of jewelry.
There were also different types of belts, including waist belts and belts with hanging
vertical straps ornamented with colored beads. Other types of jewelry included earrings,
bracelets, anklets, rings, and necklaces.
A unique type of jewelry that never appeared in other cultures was the vest, which was
worn around the chest. It was usually made of gold or of gold-plated metal. Even when it
was made of a cheap material, it was painted yellow to give a golden impression.
Wearing a golden vest is still an existing folklore practice in the Egyptian countryside,
though it has a different name, the Kirdan. Every village girl dreams of wearing a golden
one to boast of.
Ornaments and jewelry were not restricted to women. Men also used jewelry until the
Roman era in Egypt. However, since the advent of Christianity in Egypt, with many
people converting to that new religion, ornaments and extravagant luxury began to be less
common and were replaced by manifestations of piety, religiousness, and righteousness.
Most jewelry was made of cheaper materials bearing Christian symbols, such as crosses,
pigeons, and the Egyptian Ankh sign, instead of the amulets that were used before. After
the arrival of Islam in Egypt, men in particular were prohibited from wearing gold
jewelry, but continued to use jewelry made of other materials, such as silver.
Several different types of sticks were found that were used for ceremonial staffs, scepters,
flyswatters, hooked staffs, and walking sticks. They were usually made of wood and
sometimes gold plated and inlaid with precious stones.

In the 18th century it was from Italy that our interest in Egyptian design came when an
English Gentleman visited Rome as part of 'The Grand Tour' and obelisks, sphinxes and
other Egyptian style items became fashionable.The first free-standing obelisk which
remains today is at Ripon and was erected in 1702. Many of these early obelisks were set
on pedestals, reminiscent of a Roman influence. Obelisks were popular throughout the
1700s as landscape ornaments. Castle Howard in Yorkshire has many Egyptian style
buildings erected in the 1700s - obelisk, two pyramids and two gateways with pryamid
features.
In the 19th century Napoleon's Egyptian campaign of 1798 and Champollion's
decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs helped to fuel our interest. Cemeteries had many
Egyptian features on their tombs, obelisks and pyramid forms being common and many
mausoleums were built in the Egyptian style. One at Thurnham near Lancaster built for
the Gillow family is a fine example. Highgate cemetery in London included columns and
obelisks as part of the entrance. Thomas Hope opened his house in London to the public
in 1804 and one room was devoted to Egyptian decoration, furnishings and antiquities
and these designs appeared in his book 'Household furniture and interior decoration'
published in 1807.
The style was not popular with all, apparently and the architect, C.A. Busby, comments
in 1808 : ' Of all the vanities which a sickly fashion has produced, the Egyptian style in
modern architecture appears the most absurd : a style which, for domestic buildings,
borders on the monstrous. Its massy members and barbarous ornaments are a reproach to
the taste of its admirers; and the travels of Denon have produced more evil than the
elegance of the engravings and splendour of his publication can be allowed to have
compensated ' (Vivant Denon's account of the Napoleonic campaign was published in
English in 1803).

(This piece of architectural plaster sculpture which was recently added to my collection
was recovered from the Freemasons Arch Halls in Edinburgh before demolition in 1981.
The Sphinx is on the roof of the Royal Scottish Academy Princes Street Edinburgh -
Gavin)

A new style, Art Deco, influenced by elements of Egyptian designs came into vogue
around 1925 and many buildings of this style had Egyptian detailing. One such building
was the Firestone factory, London of 1929 which was demolished in 1980.Another was
the Hoover factory of 1932 with Egyptian centrepiece which is still standing. Quite a few
Art Deco Egyptianised cinemas were erected at this time including the 'Luxor' in
Twickenham. One of the latest buildings in Egyptian style is Sainbury's Homebase in
Kensington, built in 1988. The walls outside are decorated with Egyptian gods, there are
cobra downspouts and lotus capitals to the Egyptian columns at the entrance.
I think, done tastefully, buildings of Egyptian design or those with Egyptian features are
to be admired. It is a design which does stand out and is not easily missed and adds an
element of surprise and interest to our streets. It is a shame we have lost some splendid
examples this century so I hope our interest will continue into the 21st century and more
buidings inspired by the designs of the Ancient Egyptians will appear.
Anne Midgley, July 1998.

Below is an example of American Egyptian architectural design influence in the form of

Reebie's Moving and Storage building in Chigaco Illinois (collage scan courtesy of Lydia
from Texas a fellow American Egyptomaniac)