The Nile River was the centre of wealth for Egypt. This prominent transportation route brought in materials. The uniting of upper and lower Egypt creates the Old Kingdom which is the first great period in Ancient Egypt. Roughly 3,000 BCE is the commencement of the Old Kingdom and continues to 2,000 BCE. This 1,000 year period is the establishment of culture and architecture.
The climate of Egypt allowed structures to survive for many centuries and these are the standing structures one sees today. It was the Egyptian’s belief in life after death which caused them to store items like statutes, furniture and items used in daily life. Furthermore, this belief in life after death coupled with the isolation of this Society added to the cultural stability of Egypt and as a result one does not see many variations in Egyptian styles as once they were established they continued on for thousands of years. We see high stylization of the figurines which do not change over time.
Recordings on papyrus paper, rosetta stones and tablets have depicted every day Egyptian life in which one can see furniture forms incorporating animal features. For example stool legs incorporated animal legs, which were raised using structures similar to animal paw feet to depict hierarchy.
The Middle Kingdom was a time of great political unstability thus one does not see many style, architectural or cultural advancements during this period.
During the New Kingdom, the time period relating to the 18th dynasty and 16th century BCE, the establishment of ruling families and great pharaohs such as Ramesses I, Ramesses III and the Great Tutankhamun takes place. One of the great accomplishments of this period is the Temple at Karnak (“Karnak”). Most of the Temple is devoted to the God Amun. The majority of building Egyptians construct is not pyramids. Flat roof structures, massive gates, obelisks and sloped walls are prevalent in Karnak. Architecture is trabeated. Meaning an upright post and lintel sits atop with a flat roof. The flat roof is conducive to the sunny, dry climate.
Central to the Karnak is the Great Hypostyle Hall at Karnak or Hall of Columns defined by massive columns and extremely tall and trabeated architecture. There was no strong supply of wood in Egypt; therefore, stone beams were used to build temples. Stone is not good for spanning distances but was good for holding up structures.
https://www.britannica.com/technology/hypostyle-hall
Clear storeys signalling higher portion of building and lower portions were also used. Windows on central portion are placed high up so height difference is visible. Lattices reduced the amount of light coming into the building causing dark interiors. Interiors and exteriors were painted. The inside was not meant to hold massive crowds as these parts of the temple were reserved for only the pharaoh’s family or priests. Painting was on top of incised columns.
Ramesses II builds temple at Abu Simbel which depicts the modern day Luxor. This is a completely different approach to architecture, as the temple is carved out of living stone including the interiors and exteriors. Tremendous statues of the pharaoh can be seen on the exterior and floor to ceiling statues inside as well. Ceiling painting used symbols from a pantheon of Egyptian gods closely aligned with pharaohs. Pharaohs were also divine. The idea of divine pharaohs led to the stability of Egyptian culture as the powerful Pharaoh could make decisions.
Temple – Tomb of Queen of Hatshepsut, the first of Egypt’s female pharaohs, who ruled from 1470 to 1458 BCE, builds for herself a temple carved from living stone with colonnades and series of ramps. An ample amount of wall paintings in the building, provide information of ornamentation used in the Egyptian society. The walls are divided into horizontal bands and vertical strips as well depicting a combination of hieroglyphics and graphic motifs. A dark blue field with a starry night on ceiling, from the point of view of the Egyptians symbolizes the god of the sky. Thus, the relationship between ornament and belief system can be seen. Wall paintings are a good depiction of daily life, often depicting activities of the workers and craftsman. These people were basis of Egyptian economy and society.
Model homes found in tombs depict walled gardens which were typical in Egyptian homes, as a place for relaxing and daily work. Attached was an open room with colonnades which protects from the sun but allows light and air to flow. Ceilings were made from dried palm trees which were plastered over. Raised platform would be built in for couches.
Seating pieces held the greatest fascination in wall paintings as they served to express ones station in life. This hierarchical society had chairs to express one’s rank in society. Without chairs one sat on the ground which put one on the lower end of hierarchy. A stool would place one above but was not the most comfortable seating. A back on the chair gives one comfort and frames one making one more glorious to the world. The throne has arm rests which presents one as king.
The 1st seating form used in court, home and by the workman was a stool. The following examples depict various stools and their functions:
- Three-legged stool – reserved for workmen or upper classes.
- Folding stool – two axes held by stretchers at base and curved support at top held leather or linen, reserved for the pharoah or workman.
- 4-legged stool – thebes stool had a stretcher connecting all four legs, struts connect stretcher to seat acting as strength and ornament. The coving seats receive the body and mimic cloth stretches for support and would have a cushion atop.
- Tall stools were for vases.
Legs of furniture items such as stools and chairs were in animal form, the virtues of animal were said to transfer to the sitter. Thus, the animal form furniture was for important individuals. Feet raised on pads above floor, expressed the rank of the sitter. System of pads under animal feet originated from floors in the Old Kingdom that were dirt and straw and this would raise animal paws above floor, animals were seen as deities so this raising was appropriate.
The transition from stool is the chair. Earlier chairs have straight backs. Wood panels were outlined decoratively with more wood strip, which allowed the carpenter to use small pieces of wood as indigenous trees did not have massive wood, this allowed the craftsman to work with smaller wood pieces. As a result, the craftsman became adept at piecing furniture together. Seats are woven rush and completely flat. The sloping brace connects the seat with the back. Animal legs with feline paws were raised.
The Chair of Reniseneb – New Kingdome has a kanted back, coved woven seat to receive body, inlaid ivory, incised decoration with hyroglyphics. The kant has a space between the front and back and is held up with three splats, connecting back the rail of the seat with the crest rail at the top. This was typical of Egyptian seating. A curved brace and animal paw foot can be seen at the end of the animal leg.
https://images.metmuseum.org/CRDImages/eg/original/DT536.jpg
The opening of King Tutankhamun tomb shows the extensive use of gold was reserved for pharaohs. One can see the level of skill used to create Sarcophagus as a piece of sculpture, which has a technical quality that is magnificent.
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/king-tut-coffin-restoration-scli-intl/index.html
Gold was used two ways on Egyptian chairs. Hammered gold panels have low relief figure hammered onto them and those are applied directly to furniture, seen as plate of gold. Gilding, where gold is hammered so thin that it becomes tissue like and directly applied to wood like paint which can only be flaked off.
The Golden Throne found in King Tutankhamun tomb is the most glorious. One can see the hammered panels in the entire chair and the young king seated on the back of the chair.
Egypt had beds but Egyptians beds were less common because wood was scarce. Seven beds in tomb of King Tutankhamun were found that could have been used in daily life. Covered in hammered gold, feet raised and the mattress would be supported by woven linen threads or leather straps.
The folding bed, which was cot like was used for hunting as it folded neatly. The funerary bed was used for spirit in the after life or used in a funeral service. The leopard or lion bed has a full body of cats incorporated and are very high up with curving tails and head pieces. What appears to be a head rest are foot rests in the Egyptian beds. The cupped portion held the head above the mattress. Historians believed one was always preparing for resurrection and rising up and this kept the head elevated. Small tables used for dining or presentation are depicted in the wall paintings and diners ate at individual tables.
All kinds of chests including flat, short, stocky and tall can be found during the Egyptian era. Deity statues, cosmetics and everything else were kept in these chests. Exteriors were highly decorative, painted or gild. Covers took different forms and roofs were peaked or slanted. Lids came off, knobs secured on to make sure insides were not tampered with. Gaming chests had stretchers at the base which formed a sled. This sled form was typical as a piece was easy to move around with such stretchers.
Egyptians were advanced in glass making. The core was made of a soft material such as clay, animal dung, or mud which then formed over the warm glass to wrap and shape. Once the structure cooled the interior is scraped out and the interior was used for essential oils and cosmetics.
Ornaments and patterns symbolize the natural life such as papyrus, lotus, palm and palmette. Column shafts took inspiration from plant shafts. Green, blue, red, ocher and brown colours were central to design and reflect natural dyes and materials available. Inspiration for columns came from plants such as lotus bud and palm trees which we see in Rome and Greece as well. Different interpretations of palm and lotus such as open and closed can be seen. Geometric designs such as rosettes (from Babylonia and Assyria), guilloche, fret and chevron were typical in ancient Egypt. Designs were for aesthetics and had meaning for example, guilloche, fret and chevron represented water waves in the Nile.