One of the major influences on Art Deco was the design of Ancient Egypt. France had been interested in Egyptian artefacts since the time of Napoleon, but in 1922 the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered by the archaeologist Howard Carter. That was a major event in the history of taste. It provoked a craze for Egyptian artefacts, which is sometimes known as “Tutmania”. It affected fashion, jewellery and architecture.

The solid gold funerary mask of Tutankhamun uses lustrous materials like gold and lapis lazuli, creating a sharp contrast of colour. It has sinister animal forms – the cobra and the vulture. Artefacts like this appealed on an imaginative level. They revived the romantic fascination with Ancient Egypt. This imagery was immediately incorporated into Art Deco design.

Of course, Ancient Egyptian artefacts were inherently luxurious because, by and large, the only examples that survived were things that had been buried in tombs, so they had belonged to the Pharaohs, the royal families and priests. That made them instantly compatible with the luxurious Art Deco style.

Fig. 1 Cartier clock

This is a clock by Cartier (1927) [Fig. 1]. It’s based on the form of an Egyptian pylon or temple gate, specifically the Gate of Khons. It’s quite absurd that this massive architectural form has been reduced down to a minute scale; there’s no trace of historical accuracy, but it celebrates the imagery of ancient Egypt. In the same way, it’s covered in hieroglyphics – the Egyptian system of writing – but none of them have been used correctly; they’re treated purely as decorative motifs. These figures look like they’re serving drinks. Of course, it’s executed in the most expensive materials, including gold, mother-of-pearl, coral, lapis lazuli and emeralds.

Fig. 2 Boucheron corsage ornament

This is a piece of jewellery by Boucheron, the great rivals of Cartier [Fig. 2]. It’s a corsage ornament with lapis lazuli, coral, jade and onyx set in gold. This was designed for the 1925 exhibition. It’s not such an explicit imitation of Egyptian forms, it’s slightly more abstract, but the colours and motifs are clearly Egyptian in influence.

Hollywood was inspired by Ancient Egypt. The film director Cecil B. DeMille started to make historical epics like The Ten Commandments and Cleopatra, and he constructed grandiose sets based on Egyptian temples and so on. These films also fed the interest in Ancient Egypt. But this imagery leaked off the screen and was used for the cinemas themselves. Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard was a famous example. This was designed in an overblown Egyptian style that summons up the mystery and glamour of a vanished age.

Fig. 3 cemetery gate, New Haven, Connecticut

The discovery of the tomb had other implications. This is an Egyptian style cemetery gate in New Haven, Connecticut [Fig. 3]. The Ancient Egyptians established a cult of death that was manifested in Tutankhamun’s tomb. This design revives that rather morbid association.