Egyptian Revival: Not Just Because Madonna was Amazing in Riccardo Tisci Couture! ~ sararavintages

I have been a fan, as many of you are of Madonna yes, but what I was going to say is of; Egyptian Revival jewelry! The 1920's, as well as this overall look, is having a major renaissance right now. So take the opportunity to decorate yourself in some era pieces of bling.

First off Vogue has a great slideshow of the designs and sketches by Givenchy's Tisci See:http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2012/02/06/madonna-super-bowl-performance-vogue---givenchy-costumes/gallery#/image/5

The History:
After Napoleon took a scientific interest in Egypt the craze began in the late 1700's. Apparently no one was done with this and it was in full swing again by the mid 1800's and revived again in the late 1800's thanks to archaeological explorations. When we think Egyptian revival we may think 1920's or 70's but the influence did begin much earlier. The victorians made some beautiful pieces using the scarab motif, believed by the Ancient Egyptians to be associated with the creator Atum and the sun as well as for eternal life and rebirth. The scarab can be found in various victorian pieces. The piece below sold by www.jewelryexpert.com is very indicative of these designs. Real scarabs were even used in the jewelry of the time period.

Victorian Scarab Necklace. Image property of- http://www.jewelryexpert.com/catalog/scarab-pendant.htm

Egyptian Deco:
In 1922 King Tut's tomb was discovered by Howard Carter. King Tut ironically a young king and not the most influential in terms of Ancient Egyptian history, really became a symbol because of the richness and preservation of his tomb's offerings. If you attended the last exhibit which toured the U.S. the jewelry section was amazing and its focus on funeral jewelry admirable. The inscriptions on the back were given importance. This helped the viewer understand the magical role of jewelry as harbingers of the prayers needed for their journey. The context of the jewelry was on Tutankhamun's body and between the various layers and wrappings encasing the boy ruler was stunning. It is reported that over 140 such pieces were found on the body.

Image Tutankhamun's Pendant from BBC News.

Circa 1920's pin. Image Property of Raretiques-http://www.raretiques.com

The art deco movement began in the 1920's and was inspired by geometric shapes, other cultures being studied in Asia, Greece, Mexico and of course Egyptian art itself.
Themes included the scarab, the pharaoh's bust, snakes, isis and the thick Egyptian collar style design. Some amazing pieces of vintage Egyptian revival jewelry can be found on etsy, ebay and various stores online. Of course some stores make errors in dating due the amount of jewelry produced in the 1800's, 20's and 70's, so something could be 70's or Victorian instead of 1920's. Thus, it is good to try to familiarize yourself if you are looking for something specific. All kinds of materials were used in the 20's to create this style, even plastics and bakelite. These are actually very popular and can be pricey.

1920's Armband. Image property of Sarara Vintage.

Scarab Bracelet Vintage. Circa 1920. Image property of Sarara Vintage etsy.

1970's Egyptian Sparkle:
In 1963 Elizabeth Taylor immortalized Cleopatra in her amazing babbles and costumes in the film. Madonna was definitely channeling this in her recent performance and couture costume. This film and the traveling exhibit of King Tut's tomb in the 1970's led to another huge revival in the style. Costume jewelers were very influenced! The 1970's has some great and sometimes affordable examples if your looking for an Egyptian Revival statement piece. This jewelry was more mass produced in general and a little easier to find. The pharaoh head, Gold and Silver,Nefertiti and the snake theme become very prevalent during this revival and you can find amazing examples such as the 70's Whiting and Davis Mesh Snake, see image.