Sunday Brunch: Egyptomania!

May 3, 2020

Dear friends,

This week we deep dive into the jewels and history from the three waves of Egyptian Revival. This is another one of my personal favorites and a speciality of the store!

This week's Stay at Home activities:

Write your name with the Hieroglyphic Typewriter (fun for all ages)!
Carson Ellis's Quarantine Art Club and Transmundane Tuesdays to help keep the creative juices flowing!
Have an on-theme dance party to the 1986 Bangles hit, "Walk Like an Egyptian"

And now here come the jewels! This week's recommended brunch menu is figs and barley (or berries and cereal works too). Let's take a look at some baubles fit for the pharaoh!

The 1st Wave: 19th Century Egyptian Revival

Though I love pieces from all three waves of Egyptian Revival design, the first is my favorite of all, and swept through Europe when the first volumes of Le Description de l' Égypte (The Description of Egypt) were published in 1809 after Napolean's Egyptian campaign. Egyptian Revival influences were seen mainly in architecture during this period, but there were also some truly fantastic decorative objects and jewelry made as well which are rare and highly sought after (such as our micro mosaic beetle brooch seen below).

Mid-19th Century Micro Mosaic Beetle Brooch (sold)

The 2nd Wave: 1920s Egyptian Revival

The world did not have to wait long for the next wave, as the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922 rocketed Egyptian Revival design back to the height of fashion. We saw Theda Bara on screen as Cleopatra and so many examples of wonderful jewelry and objects hit the open market, some of which are in the Icon Style collection shown below!

20s Czech Glass Winged Scarab Necklace $425

20s Sterling Silver Sarcophagus Earrings (sold)

Small Sterling Silver and Enamel Box $125

20s Sterling Silver Ring with Faience Scarab (sold)

The 3rd Wave: 70s Egyptian Revival

In the 1970s the "Treasures of Tutankhamun" made its first tour of the United States and once again the country was enraptured with Egypt. Millions stood in line for hours to see the boy king, a celebrity of outsized proportions. From this era we see some larger-than-life pieces of jewelry with Egyptian motifs, and Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra.

Handmade Nefertiti Ring with Brass Top and 14k Gold Shank $450

70s 14k Gold Faience Scarab Earrings $550

And if the pieces above leave you wanting more:

Here are some more pieces from our collection that don't fall neatly into the three main waves!

50s 14k Gold Scarab Necklace with Assorted Gems (An Unusual Find!) $3,200

Antique Egyptian Faience Scarab Earrings in Custom 14k Gold Settings
Available in our Online Store

Circa 1910 Enamel and 14k Gold Stick Pin (sold)

50s Whiting and Davis Bracelet with Glass Scarab and Original Tags $250

All pieces from our Sunday Brunch collections are available for purchase. If you are interested in a piece just reply to this email and we'll send you the details. And don't forget, we are offering free shipping for all purchases, whether through the newsletter, website, or Instagram, as a thank you for the customers who are supporting us during this time.

These beauties capture a look that has been in style for centuries (well, really millennia)- it doesn't get much more timeless than that! And the look is still as fresh and fascinating as ever. Here are a few images of some Egyptian Revival Icons throughout history.