Lot # : 1 - 14KT GOLD JEWELED SHEIK FIGURAL STICKPIN BROOCH

An antique Art Nouveau stick pin set in 14kt gold and enamel with inset jewels. A classic example of Egyptian Revival style with figural head. Marked 14kt on reverse. As pictured above. EGYPTIAN REVIVAL JEWELRY: Egyptomania is an extreme obsession for all things Egyptian and, throughout history, a passion for Egypt has been a recurring theme. By the time Napoléon Bonaparte stormed Egypt at the end of the eighteenth century, Egyptomania had already reached the level of obsession in France and his actions thrust it even further, onto the world stage. Not strictly a military campaign, scientists and scholars accompanied the army and noted their observations for all the world to share. While Bonaparte was eventually defeated, this campaign led to the 1799 discovery of the Rosetta Stone, which was essential in the creation of the field of Egyptology. At the dawn of the nineteenth century, this new field of Egyptology spawned numerous archaeological expeditions to the region with the anticipation of treasure among the tombs of the Pharaohs. From 1859-1869, the Suez Canal was under construction and the French fascination for the project was so pervasive that the Paris Exposition of 1867 featured Egyptian-inspired jewels from Boucheron, Mellerio, Baugrand, and others. Empress Eugénie herself (wife of Napoléon III) requested jewels in the Egyptian taste from her court jeweler, Lemonnier (most famously an aigrette with a lotus flower and bird’s wings). The thirst for Egyptian-themed jewels soon spread across the continent and jewelers such as Giuliano, Castellani, and Fontenay included some Egyptian revival jewels alongside their other archaeological and revival styles. While they took their inspiration from these Egyptian themes, the designs that resulted were not authentic to the Egyptian style, just thematically derivative of the motifs. Cloisonné enamel, which was a Second Empire favorite, was often used to depict Egyptian designs, which while popular, was not historically accurate. In fact, “revival” might not be the proper terminology when compared to other movements, such as the Etruscan revival, which had jewelers like Castellani striving for exact duplications in technique and style. At the fin-de-siècle, when the fashionable jewelry mode was Art Nouveau, Egyptian motifs remained prevalent. Continued exploration of the region and amazing discoveries kept Egyptomania in full swing throughout the early part of the twentieth century. Gaston Maspero opened the temples at Karnak, Edward Ayrton found a royal tomb at Thebes in 1908, and Borchardt found the bust of Nefertiti c.1912, to name a few. Spurred on by treasure dealers who came to Paris to ply their wares, antiquities were finding their way into collections around the world. It is quite possible, by the sheer impetus of its popularity, that this fashion for Egyptian-inspired jewels would have continued undimmed into the Art Deco period. A tremendous boost was added with Carter’s 1922 discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun, thereby ensuring its enduring demand. The treasures found in the boy king’s tomb propelled Egyptomania into full-fledged hysteria. The apex of the style was reached c.1929, the year of the Cairo Exhibition. Egyptian revival in jewelry was initiated in those heady days in Paris when Napoleon returned from Egypt with a treasure trove of design inspiration. The aesthetic was given additional impetus by milestones such as the raising of the Luxor obelisk in the Place de la Concorde, the building of the Suez Canal, decryption of the Rosetta Stone, and a plethora of other amazing discoveries. The apex of Egyptomania was achieved when Carter located the Tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1922, the frosting on the cake. All this fuel for design inspiration provided jewelers the motivation to create jewels in the Egyptian taste for nearly a century, appeasing the vast appetite for all things Egyptian. Source: Antique Jewelry University