A History of Egyptian Craftsmanship
Egypt is a country with extremely strong links to its past, a place which has one of the longest histories of any in the world. Along with Roman and Greek ancient civilization, Egyptian cultural influence stretched far beyond the boundaries of the country. The legendary Egyptian civilization was responsible for many innovations and works of great craftsmanship relevant to art and historical craft. Among the innovations of Alexandrian craftsmen was the invention of Papyrus, which is recognized by us today as paper.
Of course, Egyptian craftsmanship is defined for many people by the burial processes and tombs of ancient Egypt, not least the legendary pyramids that include the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to still be standing today. The Pyramids themselves were built to house the tombs of Egyptian nobles – specifically the Pharaohs and their consorts – and are immediately recognized by just about anyone who sees them. In actual fact, their structure is so recognizable that any three-dimensional triangular shape is now known as a “pyramid”.
The Great Pyramid was built for the fourth generation Pharaoh Khufu, who reigned from 2589-2566 BC and is, interestingly, the builder of the largest building of ancient times and simultaneously the subject of the smallest royal sculpture ever to be found – a statuette in ivory about three inches tall.
Along with the pyramids, other examples of classic Egyptian/Alexandrian craftsmanship are visible in the death masks and sarcophagi that were created for the Pharaohs. The most famous of these would obviously be the incredibly intricate mask created for perhaps the most famous Pharaoh of all time, Tutankhamun, whose tomb was discovered fully intact in 1922 by the archaeologist Howard Carter. Among the effects found in the tomb, the mask was seen as the one which truly stood out, and has come to represent ancient Egypt in a single image for many people. The importance placed on burial ceremony in Ancient Egypt was reflected very strongly in their traditions and now, millennia later, has come to symbolize an entire ancient civilization for a great many people.