Egypt. Late October 1910. The boat is chugging up the Nile heading to Luxor where your room - to be exact, your favorite suite awaits. Upon arrival, the staff of the Winter Palace welcome you to your home away from home and, anticipating your every need, show you to your quarters complete with handsome carved wood writing desk. Suddenly, the gray chill of London melts away as the doors to your balcony fling wide, melting into blue skies bleached pale by the Egyptian sun. 

Step into the sands of time, where whispers of ancient civilizations beckon and stories of pharaohs and scribes entice across the centuries. Behold, the epitome of elegance and mystique - a gleaming Antique Egyptian Revival Wood and Brass Box. Crafted from stunning burled wood, its extravagant design pays homage to the grandeur of the Nile's shores.

On the sensational hinged lid, a golden sphinx guards the contents to be found within the incredible box's red velveteen-lined interior. Emanating from the center, golden rays reach towards exquisite brass detailing punctuating each corner. Around the perimeter of the lower box, applied brasswork gleams with mythological cross and leaf imagery, while a magnificent escucheon surrounds the original keyhole (key absent). And most extraordinary of all, on the public-facing outward exterior, deliberately positioned to impress all who might gaze upon it - a stunning, articulated scarab.   

A phenomenal market find, this elegant box embodies the grandeur and mystique of ancient Egypt, seamlessly blending timeless design with functional sophistication. Whether for a seasoned collector, a lover of antique décor, or an amateur Egyptologist, this remarkable box promises to make a unique and thoughtful gift. Capturing the imagination and mystery of a bygone era, it is sure to delight for decades to come.

Strictly one-of-a-kind and subject to prior sale. In very good antique condition with discreet signs of age and use.  8.5"W x 5.75"D x 3.75"H.

Learn More About Egyptian Revival

While its popularity had ebbed and flowed for decades, Egyptian Revival architecture and style was most popular from 1880 to 1930 and then continued to heavily influence the Art Deco period. Egypt was foreign, exotic, and sexy - arguably everything Victorian England was not - and as travel became more accessible and the field of Egyptology grew, the culture and history had a growing and eager audience.

Egyptian culture first enchanted the West when Cleopatra captured the hearts of legendary Romans Julius Caesar and later Mark Antony more than two thousand years ago. Before long, Rome incorporated Egypt into its empire (31 bce). Obelisks, Egyptian-style architectural elements, and sculpture inspired by such figures as the Egyptian deity Isis, emerged in Rome. Centuries later, Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign (1798–1801) ignited an inextinguishable fascination with ancient Egypt. Numerous scholars and artists accompanied Napoleon during his expedition to record the sights and discoveries of this mystifying land. As a result, the first volumes of Description of Egypt (Description de l'Egypte) were published in 1809. The large tomes contained mesmerizing folio prints of Egyptian architecture and antiquities never seen before.

A number of other significant events contributed to the West’s fascination with Egypt, particularly in the early 1800s and again in the later part of the century. In 1822, French scholar Jean-François Champollion deciphered hieroglyphics when he translated the Rosetta Stone. Obelisks were transported from Egypt and raised in Paris, London, and New York. In 1869, the Suez Canal opened in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean and Red seas. A number of world’s fairs included Egyptian displays. Archaeologists and scholars continued to publish numerous accounts of their discoveries in Egypt throughout the century. Theater productions, such as the highly acclaimed opera Aida, set in ancient Egypt, debuted in Cairo in 1871 and New York in 1873.

This novel exposure to Egypt inspired Egyptian Revival. The design style permeated Western decorative arts, furniture, jewelry, architecture, commemorative, and funerary monuments. Egyptian-inspired designs provided an exotic alternative to other fashionable styles of the period. Obelisks, hieroglyphs, sphinxes, pyramids, scarabs, and lotus blossoms were popular motifs. Imagery was construed and adapted in different ways, from literal interpretations to fanciful artistic motifs.

In 1922, Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb and the extensive artifacts uncovered with it sparked renewed enthusiasm for all things Egyptian. Ancient Egypt influenced everything from commercial buildings, movie theaters, and films, to clothing, mass-produced items, and advertisements. Decades later, in the 1970s, world tours of the treasures of King Tutankhamun’s tomb prompted another wave of what scholars often refer to as “Egyptomania.” No other ancient civilization has captivated the Western world in quite the same manner. The public’s love of ancient Egypt remains eternal.