Object of the Day, Museum Edition: Tombeau de Lipsius. Pyramide. Chefren. 1880-1890

Click on image to enlarge
"Tombeau de Lipsius"
Pierre Henri Theodore Tetar van Elven
1880-1890
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Painted in Egypt between 1880 and 1890 by the monumentally-named Pierre Henri Theodore Tetar van Elven (1828-1908), this work of watercolor over pencil is accented with white oil paint.

Titled, “Tombeau de Lipsius,” the image actually depicts a scene from Giza of the Pyramid of Khufu. Such a painting would have satisfied the growing desire for exotic images of Egypt which developed from late Nineteenth Century archaeological finds.

History's Runway: An Ancient Egyptian Wig

Human Hair Wig
Thebes, Egypt
18th Dynasty, 1550-1300 BC
The British Museum

Historians and archaeologists believe that most ancient Egyptians kept their hair cropped very short or shaved altogether as a means of combating the hot climate. Wigs were worn on special occasions. Historians have recorded that most artistic representations of ancient Egyptians depict the subject wearing a wig. At a point, even false beards were worn by men.


If that’s the case, then, one would think we’d have museums awash in Egyptian wigs. However, they are rather difficult to come by. This wig was found in a tomb in Thebes, and was, remarkably, in its original box. Still in excellent condition, this wig is constructed of human hair which has been pressed into a molded wax scalp. Hundreds of individual hairs were pressed into the wax. The upper layer of the wig is comprised of bleached human hair which has been curled. Each curl has been impregnated with wax so that it will hold its shape.

Since being brought into the collection of the British Museum, this hairpiece was studied by a prominent wigmaker who declared the coiffure to be just as sturdy and as masterfully made as any modern wig. No wonder it’s lasted as long as it has.

Mastery of Design: The Egyptian Fez Ornament, 1800-72

Fez Ornament
1800-1872
Egypt
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The 1851 Great Exhibition inspired a series of “London International Exhibitions” which took place in South Kensington in 1871, 1872, 1873 and 1874 in order to showcase fine arts and scientific inventions.

In the 1872 Exhibition, one emphasis was on jewelry, including so-called “peasant jewellery.”  The Exhibition Commissioners arranged with the South Kensington Museum (later the V&A) to create a massive collection of peasant jewelry from “all parts of the world, which should become public property, for exhibition in the Museum after the close of the Exhibition.”

This ornament is part of that collection. The piece was described in the future-V&A’s register as an “ornament for the top of a fez or tarboosh” (a tarboosh is a round brimless red felt hat) from Egypt.

The jewel is comprised of a silver disc from which hang seventeen chains and pendants. The pendants appear to represent common domestic Egyptian objects including: a hammer, an axe, a sword, a coffee pot and a frying pan.  It was made in Egypt between 1800 and 1872.

Painting of the Day: Tombeau de Lipsius. Pyramide. Chefren. 1880-1890

Click on image to enlarge
"Tombeau de Lipsius"
Pierre Henri Theodore Tetar van Elven
1880-1890
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Painted in Egypt between 1880 and 1890 by the monumentally-named Pierre Henri Theodore Tetar van Elven (1828-1908), this work of watercolor over pencil is accented with white oil paint.

Titled, “Tombeau de Lipsius,” the image actually depicts a scene from Giza of the Pyramid of Khufu. Such a painting would have satisfied the growing desire for exotic images of Egypt which developed from late Nineteenth Century archaeological finds.

Gifts of Grandeur: Pendant of the Dwarf God Bes, c. 600 BC

Pendant of the Dwarf God Bes
Egypt, c. 600 BC
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I confess, I picked this jewel for today because I was tickled by the title of “The Dwarf God Bes.” Bes, it seems, was an Egyptian deity of music, war and childbirth. I’m not sure how all of those things go together, but there you have it. Oh, and, yes, he was also a dwarf. And, he was thought to be good luck. Charms of Bes were placed around the home to protect the house and pendants such as this one were worn to protect the wearer during war, childbirth, or…um…music. Again, they don’t really go together. But, who am I to argue with a dwarf god? 

This pendant is constructed of gold and adorned with glazed steatite. It was made in Egypt between 600BC-100BC.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: “Rat d’Egypte apellé en Arabe Gérbouh” Jerboa or Desert Rat

Watercolor Painting
1775-1796
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I'm running a little behind schedule today.  To that, I say, "Rats!"  Egyptian rats to be accurate.

Here we see a strangely handsome watercolor of an Egyptian Jerboa eating a date. Jerboas are rodents quipped with powerful hind legs and very long tails for balance which are capable of leaping large distances to escape predators. *Shiver, gag.* These nocturnal desert dwellers are common in Egypt and enjoy arid conditions and feeding on plant material. Their name—Jerboa--is said to derive from Arabic words meaning “meaty thighs.” Charming.

The particular vermin depicted here is possibly a portrait of a pet. He has been lovingly painted holding a date in his tiny front paws. The artist is Jean-Baptiste Adanson who was a diplomat, antiquarian and draftsman, and brother of the naturalist Michel Adanson. He was the official French interpreter at various cities in Egypt and Syria, and the French consul in Egypt from 1775 until 1785. Throughout his life, Adanson amassed a large collection of his drawings of natural history, antiquities and views.

Painting of the Day: The Emperor of Austria ascending the Great Pyramid, 1869

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This pencil and watercolor scene by William R. I. Simpson has an interesting history. The creation of the piece was described in “The Illustrated London News” in December of 1869.”

Mr. Simpson was known for his sense of humor and his particular eye for the absurd, He was quoted as follows during a visit to Egypt in 1869: “I went out one day and saw the Emperor of Austria lugged to the top of the Great Pyramid by two Arabs as if he had been only an overland passenger.”

This was a common practice at the time. In fact, it was a common practice for tourists to be dragged to the top of the pyramid until very recently. But, for an Emperor to be hauled in such an undignified manner struck Mr. Simpson as quite ridiculous and unceremonious.

What brought Emperor Franz Josef to Egypt? He was one of many European Royals and dignitaries in Egypt in November of 1869 for the opening of the Suez Canal which replaced the extremely inconvenient “Overland Route” via Cairo and across the desert on the way to India.

William Simpson was a lithographer and prolific watercolor painter, who would ultimately become what we would no now label a “war-correspondent,” traveling the world to cover wars and news for London newspapers—transferring the events into vigorous sketches which were neatly transformed into wood-engravings.

Mastery of Design: Queen Alexandra's Scarab Bracelet

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
This and all related images courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Click on each image for a larger version.

Made in 1862 and attributed to the firm of Phillips Bros. & Son, this bangle of gold, steatite, amethyst and glazed composition was given to Queen Alexandra, consort of King Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom (1844-1925).  The bracelet was made with six scarabs
acquired by King Edward VII, when Prince of Wales, upon a visit to Egypt in 1862,  The finished bracelet was presented by Queen Victoria to Princess Alexandra on December 1 of the same year.

The scarabs are mounted in openwork scroll settings, with stylized rearing cobras flanking the the sun.  Each of the scarabs is carved on the back, except for the amethyst which in itself typifies a very fine example of hardstone scarab from the XII Dynasty (c. 1985-1795 BC). 

The bangle also boasts a faience scarab which is adorned with animals, including the a rare depiction of the "Typhonian animal" a dog-like creature which resembles a greyhound or a jackal.  This animal is associated with Seth (or Set), the Egyptian god of the desert and storms in addition to the attributes of chaos and confusion. 

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Drawing of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, 1882

Duke of Connaught and Guards Brigade Entering Alexandria
Melton Prior, 1882
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Today, we’ll get a look, in honor of little George Alexander Louis, at some other famous princes.  Let's begin with the son of Arthur, the Duke of Connaught, also called Arthur (styled as Prince Arthur of Connaught). Like his father, Prince Arthur of Connaught enjoyed a distinguished military career and served as a valued aid to his cousin (another of Victoria’s grandson’s) King George V and Queen Mary (Mary of Teck).

However, in many ways Prince Arthur of Connaught was always in the shadow of his celebrated father, the Duke who outlived his son by four years. The Duke of Connaught was doubtlessly a military hero and the subject of many works of art.

Here’s one. This drawing from the Victoria & Albert Museum shows the Duke of Connaught in 1882 (a year before the birth of his son and namesake) as he enters Egypt with his troops. The drawing is entitled, “The Duke of Connaught and Guards Brigade Entering Alexandria.” Rendered in 1882, this pencil drawing is heightened by white accents and is the work of the famed Melton Prior.

Precious Time: A Magnificent Clock by Vulliamy & Son, 1807

Egyptian Revival Clock
1807-1808
Vulliamy & Son
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Early Nineteenth Century discoveries of Egyptian artifacts caused an interest in the style of ancient Egypt and a spate of objects designed in England in the Egyptian taste. This style was especially dominant in objects with an inherent architectural quality such as clocks and tombstones.


This gorgeous clock in the Egyptian style in the work of English clockmakers Vulliamy & Son. The case is supported by figures of the god, Horus and is adorned with patinated bronze and ormolu.

Before being donated to the Victoria & Albert Museum, this clock was in the collection of Queen Mary prior to her marriage to King George V.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: An Egyptian Rock Crystal Bottle, 975-1000

Bottle
Egypt, 975-1000
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This tubular-shape bottle narrows at the neck and foot and is adorned with a broad band of palmette scrolls in the center and plain moldings, at the shoulder and foot. Given the fact that this piece is between 900 and 1000 years old, it has suffered some damage—a chip and a missing foot. Looking through the mouth hole, one can see at the base the mark of a drill—a fascinating technology used to fashion this vessel in Egypt.

Rock crystal vessels were made for the rulers of Cairo during the Fatimid period (969–1171). These were the work of very skilled craftsmen. Enormous skill and paitence was required to hollow out the raw rock crystal without breaking it and to carve the delicate, often very shallow, decoration. Because of this, these were prestigious items that the ruler would have displayed in his treasury.

These bottles were probably used for storing perfumes—highly costly materials in their own right.

Mastery of Design: Pendant of the Dwarf God Bes, c. 600 BC

Pendant of the Dwarf God Bes
Egypt, c. 600 BC
The Victoria & Albert Museum

I confess, I picked this jewel for today because I was tickled by the title of “The Dwarf God Bes.” Bes, it seems, was an Egyptian deity of music, war and childbirth. I’m not sure how all of those things go together, but there you have it. Oh, and, yes, he was also a dwarf. And, he was thought to be good luck. Charms of Bes were placed around the home to protect the house and pendants such as this one were worn to protect the wearer during war, childbirth, or…um…music. Again, they don’t really go together. But, who am I to argue with a dwarf god? 

This pendant is constructed of gold and adorned with glazed steatite. It was made in Egypt between 600BC-100BC.

Painting of the Day: Tombeau de Lipsius. Pyramide. Chefren. 1880-1890

Click on image to enlarge
"Tombeau de Lipsius"
Pierre Henri Theodore Tetar van Elven
1880-1890
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Painted in Egypt between 1880 and 1890 by the monumentally-named Pierre Henri Theodore Tetar van Elven (1828-1908), this work of watercolor over pencil is accented with white oil paint.

Titled, “Tombeau de Lipsius,” the image actually depicts a scene from Giza of the Pyramid of Khufu. Such a painting would have satisfied the growing desire for exotic images of Egypt which developed from late Nineteenth Century archaeological finds.

Sunday Morning Special: Gypped in Egypt, 1930

Today’s Sunday Morning Special comes to us from 1930 and features the, sadly, relatively unremembered “Waffles and Dan.” “Gypped in Egypt” follows the adventures of the mismatched duo as they freak themselves out in Egypt. It’s a Van Beuren Cartoon, so you know it will be odd. 


As with all cartoons of the 30s, expect lots of knee-bending and muttering.  Enjoy! 

Mastery of Design: The Egyptian Fez Ornament, 1800-72

Fez Ornament
1800-1872
Egypt
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The 1851 Great Exhibition inspired a series of “London International Exhibitions” which took place in South Kensington in 1871, 1872, 1873 and 1874 in order to showcase fine arts and scientific inventions.

In the 1872 Exhibition, one emphasis was on jewelry, including so-called “peasant jewellery.”  The Exhibition Commissioners arranged with the South Kensington Museum (later the V&A) to create a massive collection of peasant jewelry from “all parts of the world, which should become public property, for exhibition in the Museum after the close of the Exhibition.”

This ornament is part of that collection. The piece was described in the future-V&A’s register as an “ornament for the top of a fez or tarboosh” (a tarboosh is a round brimless red felt hat) from Egypt.

The jewel is comprised of a silver disc from which hang seventeen chains and pendants. The pendants appear to represent common domestic Egyptian objects including: a hammer, an axe, a sword, a coffee pot and a frying pan.  It was made in Egypt between 1800 and 1872.

Painting of the Day: Life in the Hareem, Cairo; An Inmate of the Hareem, Cairo, 1858

Life in the Hareem
John Frederick Lewis, 1858
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in 1858, “Life in the Hareem, Cairo” appears, at first glance, to be another so-called “Orientalist” painting with no obvious or relevant story behind it.   However, this image relies on the then-popular “Language of Flowers” to tell its story. 

The posy of flowers held in the lap of the main figure is a love letter, in the language of flowers.  This device was a favorite of the artist, John Frederick Lewis, and he  often incorporated it into his work.

The painting shows a view of the interior of the women's quarters of a Mamluk house in Cairo, as an ornately-dressed woman, reclining on cushions, holds a bouquet of flowers and another woman brings a tray with coffee cups.

Lewis completed this watercolor painting in Walton-on-Thames, England though it is based on his many years living in Egypt.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: A Rock Crystal Flask, 975

Let's start the New Year out with some sparkle.  Few things sparkle more than rock crystal which has been valued and employed for centuries.  This exceptional rock crystal vessel from the Victoria & Albert Museum takes a form which somewhat resembles the body of a fish. 

The fish shape is broken as the vessel tapers toward the shoulders which form a collar around the mouth of the hollowed out interior.  The exterior is elaborately carved in relief with hatched bands, double sets of complex volutes, abstract designs,  and four palmettes at the collar. 

This beauty, we can assume based on similar objects was made for the rulers of Egypt during the Fatimid period (969-1171). 

Painting of the Day: The Emperor of Austria ascending the Great Pyramid, 1869

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This pencil and watercolor scene by William R. I. Simpson has an interesting history. The creation of the piece was described in “The Illustrated London News” in December of 1869.”


Mr. Simpson was known for his sense of humor and his particular eye for the absurd, He was quoted as follows during a visit to Egypt in 1869: “I went out one day and saw the Emperor of Austria lugged to the top of the Great Pyramid by two Arabs as if he had been only an overland passenger.”

This was a common practice at the time. In fact, it was a common practice for tourists to be dragged to the top of the pyramid until very recently. But, for an Emperor to be hauled in such an undignified manner struck Mr. Simpson as quite ridiculous and unceremonious.

What brought Emperor Franz Josef to Egypt? He was one of many European Royals and dignitaries in Egypt in November of 1869 for the opening of the Suez Canal which replaced the extremely inconvenient “Overland Route” via Cairo and across the desert on the way to India.

William Simpson was a lithographer and prolific watercolor painter, who would ultimately become what we would no now label a “war-correspondent,” traveling the world to cover wars and news for London newspapers—transferring the events into vigorous sketches which were neatly transformed into wood-engravings.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: An Egyptian Rock Crystal Bottle, 975-1000

Bottle
Egypt, 975-1000
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This tubular-shape bottle narrows at the neck and foot and is adorned with a broad band of palmette scrolls in the center and plain moldings, at the shoulder and foot. Given the fact that this piece is between 900 and 1000 years old, it has suffered some damage—a chip and a missing foot. Looking through the mouth hole, one can see at the base the mark of a drill—a fascinating technology used to fashion this vessel in Egypt.

Rock crystal vessels were made for the rulers of Cairo during the Fatimid period (969–1171). These were the work of very skilled craftsmen. Enormous skill and paitence was required to hollow out the raw rock crystal without breaking it and to carve the delicate, often very shallow, decoration. Because of this, these were prestigious items that the ruler would have displayed in his treasury.

These bottles were probably used for storing perfumes—highly costly materials in their own right.

Painting of the Day: “Rat d’Egypte apellé en Arabe Gérbouh” Jerboa or Desert Rat

Watercolor Painting
1775-1796
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here we see a strangely handsome watercolor of an Egyptian Jerboa eating a date. Jerboas are rodents quipped with powerful hind legs and very long tails for balance which are capable of leaping large distances to escape predators. *Shiver, gag.* These nocturnal desert dwellers are common in Egypt and enjoy arid conditions and feeding on plant material. Their name—Jerboa--is said to derive from Arabic words meaning “meaty thighs.” Charming.


The particular vermin depicted here is possibly a portrait of a pet. He has been lovingly painted holding a date in his tiny front paws. The artist is Jean-Baptiste Adanson who was a diplomat, antiquarian and draftsman, and brother of the naturalist Michel Adanson. He was the official French interpreter at various cities in Egypt and Syria, and the French consul in Egypt from 1775 until 1785. Throughout his life, Adanson amassed a large collection of his drawings of natural history, antiquities and views.