Ancient Egyptian Era Overview

Ancient Egyptian Era

• The Ancient Egyptian civilization is one of the longest continuous civilizations in history.
• Geographically, it originated in the Nile Valley and Delta.
• Culturally, civilization encompasses language, religious practices, customs, social organization, and administration.
• Ancient Egyptians also understood the natural world and interacted with neighboring peoples.
• The preservation of Egyptian furniture is largely due to their belief in life after death. This drove them to include worldly goods in their graves for use in the afterlife.
• Furniture from this era shares similarities with today's furniture.
• A clear distinction in social rank exists in the architectural structures. Priests and wealthy nobles lived in large complexes, while merchants occupied medium-sized houses and the lower classes resided in smaller dwellings.
• Ancient Egyptians created innovative and remarkable works with a lasting impact on the world, including advancements in mummification, music, sculpture, literature, painting, architecture, and drama.

Ancient Egyptian Period 1567 - 1320 BC

• The Ancient Egyptian period spanned from 1567 BC to 1320 BC.
• Environment significantly influenced religious beliefs and Pharaonic worship. Gods were depicted in human or animal forms or combinations of both.
• Religious belief played a major role in shaping arts and influencing thoughts about the afterlife.
• Visual arts were prominent, including sculpture and two-dimensional paintings. Visual elements were frequently found in temples, tombs, shrouds, coffins, and papyrus.
• Ancient Egyptians were skilled in the arts of stone and metalwork and manufacturing colored glass.
• Belief in the afterlife is depicted in discovered human tombs, indicating a belief in the afterlife.
• Core beliefs included Ra (sun), Horus (sun), Aton (sun), Khepri (sun), Thoth (moon), Geb (earth), Nut (sky), Shu and Tefnut (wind and moisture), Osiris and Isis (underworld rulers).
• Ra and Amun, after merging, became the belief of Amun-Ra as the king of the gods.
• Ancient Egypt became a powerful nation with a long history lasting until 30 dynasties.
• 3100-1085 BC is divided into three dynastic periods: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom.

Philosophy of Architecture and Interior Design in the Ancient Egyptian Style

• Religious thought in ancient Egyptian civilization was fundamentally rooted in the belief of resurrection and immortality.
• This perspective influenced both the material and intellectual outputs of the civilization, reflected through architectural design and funerary items.
• Advanced architecture served a clear religious purpose: the pursuit of immortality after death.
• This belief is manifested in vast temples and monumental structures and tombs that represent the relationship between architecture and spiritual beliefs.
• The architecture of the pyramids illustrates profound commitment to the belief in immortality.

Features of Ancient Egyptian Style

• Designers of the time used formal dimensions and intellectual dimensions to express their designs.
• Admiration and love for nature inspired artists to imitate it in their creations.
• Artists captured local environment feelings and emotions.
• Creativity reached highest levels in all forms.
• The artistic expressions were rooted in their belief in resurrection and immortality.
• Designers achieved a balance between functional goals and aesthetic values.
• Religious beliefs of Ancient Egyptians influenced the decorative forms and shapes of furniture.
• Symbols representing beliefs influenced architecture, interior design, and furniture design.
• Designers used geometric decorations.
• Belief in resurrection and immortality led to furniture being transferred from earthly homes to graves (funeral furniture).
• Designers reflected significant historical events in their works.
• Comfort was also a significant consideration in the design process.

Characteristics of Creative Thinking in the Ancient Egyptian Style

• Designers resorted to building religious architecture and then later created interior designs and furniture for kings and people.
  • Inspiration was taken from nature including lotus flowers, papyrus, tree leaves, and animals and birds.
  • Designers incorporated these influences through a set of design concepts (attention to aesthetic values through nature, forming artistic methods, dividing the human body into 21 parts)
• Nature simulation, artistic methods, and the body division were key aspects of their design.
• The harmony in proportions was important.
• The relationship between the whole and part was considered important, as was the quality and quantity expressed.

Elements of Architecture and Interior Design in the Ancient Egyptian Style

• This era left behind remarkable works in applied art, evident in interior design, furniture, utensils, textiles, jewelry, porcelain, musical instruments, and ship models, evoking a sense of artistry, natural world appreciation, proportional beauty, and spirit.
• The physical production can be divided into two categories:
  • Furniture
  • Architectural elements

First: Furniture in the Ancient Egyptian Style

• Ancient Egyptian craftsmen were able to perform carpentry work despite the scarcity and simplicity of tools.
• Some furniture was inlaid with ivory, wood and faience, while others had smooth surfaces and geometric decorations.
• Some furniture was plated with gold.
• Decorative drawings were also used.
• Skill and craftsmanship are evident in the surviving furniture.

The Craft of Furniture Manufacturing in the Ancient Egyptian Style

• Carpentry and joints were maintained through binding with rawhide, leather strips, copper strips, linen threads, ropes wrapped around wooden screws, etc.
• These methods are found in early coffins, tombs, and chests.

Connections and Interlocks

• The mortise and tenon joint was a key method in the era's furniture.
• It was used to make furniture of Queen Hetepheres, statues, and furniture of Yuya, Tuya, and Tutankhamun.
• Wood was often coated with varnish for a more luxurious appearance.

Wooden Coffin

• Wooden coffins are of architectural significance, dating back to various dynasties (First Dynasty, 1985-1940 В.С., Eleven Dynasty)

Ivory and Bone Carving Works

• Ivory and bone served as prime materials for artistic use in decorations, furniture, tools, and weapons.
• Large quantities were found in Abydos and Saqqara. Some pieces include spearheads carved from hyena tusks.

Chairs and Benches

• In the Predynastic period, seating was simple and lacked a backrest, typically made of braided nets with leather cushions.

Beds

• Bed legs often took the shape of animals (bulls).
• Beds are found in various sizes and styles, and sometimes incorporated in burial procedures.

Chests

• Chests served storage in homes and in tombs.
• Decorated with carvings, inlays, symbols, and hieroglyphics.
• Some chests were closed using sliding lids, others used straps or ropes.
• Methods of fixing the lids were devised to enhance stability

Architecture and Interior Design in the Ancient Egyptian Style

• Egyptian architecture is characterized by strength, magnificence, clarity, and straight lines.
• The style is rooted in natural conditions, available materials, beliefs, perceptions, political & economic conditions, and efficiency.
• The climate of Egypt, with little rain, influenced the design of courtyards and flat roofs
• Decorations and views were taken from their environment and used extensively.

Building Materials

• Building materials were readily available and inexpensive, like clay and plant sticks and mud brick.
• Plant sticks, papyrus, and branches were used for homes.
• Mud brick was used for important buildings.

Architecture in the Old Kingdom

• Spirit dwellings (clay models of houses and offerings) were common, placed at the northern end of tombs.
• Designs of this time are often very similar to their real-world counterparts.

Decoration/ Ornament

• Decoration often conveyed beliefs about immortality and the return of the soul.
• Images, engravings, and hieroglyphs were often used to express the life of the deceased.
• Common decorative measures included squares, diamonds, and flower shapes.

Plant Decoration/ Ornament

• Plant motifs were common in ornamentation, depicting natural elements such as lotus flowers, papyrus, palm trees, and climbing plants.
• Plant symbolism and color played a key role in the designs.

Column

• Columns were used for functional reasons (supporting the ceiling) and aesthetic qualities.
• Column inspiration came from natural forms (plants, trees) and proportions.
• Geometric elements and various shapes and designs were key features of the columns in the design process.