"Egyptomania" Reveals the West's Enduring Romance with Egypt and Its Dramatic Influence on Decorative Arts
Bow Porcelain Factory, Pair of Figures as Sphinxes, c. 1750, porcelain, the MFAH, the Rienzi Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Harris Masterson, III.
Gorham Manufacturing Company, Asparagus Tongs, 1870–75, silver and silver gilt, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Bayou Bend Collection, gift of Dr. William P. Hood, Jr.
Adolphe Braun, The Sphinx and the Pyramids, c. 1870, carbon print, the MFAH, gift of Louis K. Adler in honor of Fayez Sarofim and Meredith J. Long at “One Great Night in November, 1992.”
Attributed to Pottier and Stymus, Tall Case Clock, c. 1875, cherry, parcel gilt, glass, and metals, the MFAH, museum purchase with funds provided by the Agnes Cullen Arnold Endowment Fund.
Leonard F. Wyburud, Thebes Stool, c. 1889, mahogany and leather, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum purchase funded by the Arch and Stella Rowan Foundation, Inc.
Bottle designed by Baccarat, for Bichara, Mounira, c. 1930, glass and thread, the MFAH, the Alice and Mike Hogg Collection, gift of Alice C. Simkins.
Egyptomania Reveals the West’s Enduring Romance with Egypt and its Dramatic Influence on Decorative Arts
Houston—February 2012—An exhibition opening at the MFAH March 18, Egyptomania, explores the Egyptian Revivals of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries through some 40 objects, including photographs, Georgian garden sphinxes, 19th-century “Aegyptian” furniture and Art Deco perfume bottles with pharaoh-head stoppers. The works will be on view through July 29, 2012.
“Westerners have long had an enduring romance with the idea of Egypt and its ancient people, of whom only their grand edifices really remain. We are captivated by their poignant narrative and other-worldliness,” said Christine Gervais, associate curator of decorative arts and Rienzi. “Egyptomania captures the way this fascination translates into European and American decorative arts objects, from clocks, perfume bottles and ceramics to Tiffany glass and Wedgwood.”
The fascination for Egypt has been repeatedly rejuvenated. Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign (1798-1801), the opening of the Suez Canal (1869) and the 1922 discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb by English archaeologist Howard Carter all intoxicated the public, resulting in the reflection of Egyptian influences in Western culture, including literature, art and architecture. The exhibition focuses primarily on such trends in the decorative arts, where the influence can be seen in design motifs and symbols, as well as in actual forms.
The entry gallery to the exhibition will showcase works on paper, including books and photographs that disseminated notions of Egypt to the Western public. The invention of wet-plate photography in the 1850s allowed photographers to move out of the studio and into the field, and photographic subject matter reflected this change with a new focus on monuments and tourist attractions. Francis Frith, for instance, made a career of photographing Egypt and Palestine, and his beautiful photograph, The Pyramids of Dahshoor, from the East (1857), will be on view. Similarly, Francis Bedford went on a Tour in the East, accompanying His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales by command, and made many pictures in the 1860s, including Thebes–Interior of the Hall of Columns at the Temple of Karnaak, Looking South (1862). The description of G. Zangaki’s’ Thebes, Fallen Statue of Rameses (c. 1890), depicting a monumental figure lying fallen and cracked in the sand, spurred Percy Bysshe Shelley to write his famous poem on the decline of great leaders and empires, Ozymandias.
Several functional household items will be on view. A tall case clock by Pottier and Stymus, c. 1875, is an impressive example of the Egyptian Revival style in America. Made of cherry wood and standing nearly eight feet tall, the timepiece features Egyptian motifs such as sun gods, sarcophagus heads and stylized flowers. An “Aegyptian” Chair, c. 1875, and a Thebes Stool, c. 1884, are fine instances of the Egyptian Revival in English furniture.
Two silver serving pieces, a Sardine Fork in the “Lotus” pattern and a Nut Spoon in the “Isis” pattern, were made in the 1860s and 1870s by the Gorham Manufacturing Company. The first features a lotus blossom and the other stylized papyrus stalks. Egyptian influences can also be seen in tongs, ladles, spoons, and more. A pair of candlesticks by Josiah Wedgwood & Sons, c. 1800-1815, keeps within the dictates of English Neoclassicism with plinths composed of ormolu and blue jasperware, with the classical references further accentuated by the addition of sphinx-like figures, making reference to the earlier Egyptian dynasties. An iridescent gold vase made by Tiffany Studios, c. 1912, is decorated with an Egyptian collar in green and gold inspired by archaeological finds made at Tel el Amarna in 1892.
Some of the household items are purely ornamental. A black marble Obelisk, c. 1850, would have had a dramatic presence in someone’s home. It stands over one foot tall and features side panels with hieroglyphics. Also on view is a pair of porcelain sphinx figures—with aristocratic English faces—wearing tasseled saddle cloths, lacy caps, collars and pearl jewelry, with their front paws crossed and resting on a rococo scrolled base.
In addition, the Egyptian theme can be seen in glamorous, women’s dressing room items, such as Art Deco perfume bottles, titled Sakountala and Mounira, which feature amusing pharaoh-head stoppers. Jewelry will also be on view, including Scarab Necklace, c. 1870, and Winged Scarab Pin, c. 1875. Both feature the popular beetle amulet—the first strung with actual dung beetles, in a brilliant emerald hue, imported from South America specifically to meet the craze for Egyptian-like scarabs.
Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs at the MFAH
Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs, an acclaimed exhibition featuring more than 100 artifacts, most of which had never been shown in the U.S. prior to this tour, is on view at the MFAH through April 15, 2012. For the course of one month, MFAH visitors can see Egyptomania and the type of spectacular treasures that inspired the Egyptian Revivals, including objects from the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Visit mfah.org/exhibitions/tutankhamun-golden-king-and-great-pharaohs/ to learn more about the exhibition and special ticketing.
MFAH Collections
Founded in 1900, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is among the ten largest art museums in the United States. Located in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, the MFAH comprises two gallery buildings, a sculpture garden, library, theater and two art schools, with two house museums, for American and European decorative arts, nearby. The encyclopedic collection of the MFAH numbers some 64,000 works and embraces the art of antiquity to the present.
Upcoming Exhibitions at the MFAH
• Shifting Paradigms in Contemporary Ceramics: The Garth Clark and Mark Del Vecchio Collection
March 4–June 3, 2012
• Elegance and Refinement: The Still-Life Paintings of Willem van Alest
March 11–May 28, 2012
• Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London
June 3–September 3, 2012
• Unrivaled Splendor: The Kimiko and John Powers Collection of Japanese Art
June 17–September 23, 2012
• Duncan Phyfe, Master Cabinetmaker in New York
June 24–September 9, 2012
For more information, please contact:
MFAH Communications
713-639-7554