The Influences of Egyptian Motifs

Architecture

• Egyptian Revival architecture began following the Napoleonic invasions of the 1800s. It makes use of Egyptian imagery and motifs such as the Egyptian garden follies, bridge, swing and bath house found at France's Chateau de Montbeliard. On the Strand in London, "The Courier" newspaper building interior contains cavetto (concave, quarter-circle molding) and cornices, as well as pillars with Egyptian palmiform capitals. Egyptian columns are usually triangular, but can be found circular, rectangular or octagonal. They are topped with vegetation-inspired capitals, usually palm leaves, triangular- shaped papyrus reeds, or lotus flowers. Some are constructed and painted to represent entire palm trees. New York's Chrysler Building is Egyptian inspired, boasting a spire with sunburst-inspired ascending curves, an amber-colored marble interior and elevator doors decorated with papyrus flowers.

Movies

• Cecil B. DeMille was so taken with Egyptomania It inspired him to produce two epic films -- "The Ten Commandments" and "Cleopatra" -- including elaborate sets based on Egypt and Egyptian themes. These films further fueled interest in all things Egyptian and even inspired a few Egyptian-styled movie theaters.

Monuments and Cemeteries

• Egyptian obelisks have inspired many monuments, including the Washington Monument and Rome's Bernini's Obelisk. The obelisk also inspired the monument's use as funerary memorial monuments. One cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut features an Egyptian-style cemetery gate, resembling rectangular shaped Egyptian entranceways. It also creates a morbid link between the cemetery and the Egyptian burial rituals.

Interior Design and Art Deco

• The geometric shapes of Art Deco are offshoots of Egyptian motifs. It included trapezoids, zigzags and starbursts as well as sharp color contrasts (e.g., black and sea-foam green). Other interior design motifs include plants, scales representing palm tree trunks, feathers and hieroglyphs. Flat ceilings are divided by beams, covered faux woven fabric finish or painted to resemble a starry night sky.

Artwork

• Egyptian art has no shading, appears flat and ignores perspective, It also makes use of gold leafing with bright, bold contrasting colors like lapis lazuli blue. Solar disks, obelisks or pyramids, scarabs, plants and animals, and ankhs (tau crosses topped by a circle, representing the key of life) are common themes in Egyptian-inspired artwork and "artifacts."

Fashion

• The modern use of mascara and eyeliner represents the Egyptian black kohl eyeliner used to highlight the eyes. Today's bob haircut was inspired by hairstyles seen in hieroglyphs. Jewelry made with gold, mother-of-pearl or emeralds, anything with animal motifs and layered chains or pearls became the modern version of Egyptian-style jewelry. Clothing inspired by Egyptian motifs includes long dresses made from lightweight fabrics, fringed wraps around the shoulders or waist, and clothing adornments like sequins, feathers and embroidery.