ART DECO & EGYPTOMANIA

Published on the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb and the 200^th anniversary of the deciphering of the Rosetta Stone, this book responds to the still considerable enthusiasm and curiosity surrounding Egyptomania. This concept refers to a collective imagination aroused by a dream which was nourished throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries by archaeological excavations and great journeys. These major discoveries were fertile ground for creation, particularly for Art Deco artists who found inspiration in their lines and patterns.

Art Deco Egyptomania explores the origins and functioning of this cultural and artistic process shaped by a multitude of fields. Architecture in particular absorbed these influences to a great extent. Since 1921, the Parisian cinema Luxor, named after the eponymous city, has been displaying shapes and decorations borrowed from the world of the pharaohs. Sculptors created monumental figures protecting the Suez Canal or bestiaries of Egyptian inspiration. The popular art which enters into the house was also imbued with it: candlesticks and clocks were decorated with the eye of Horus and lotus flowers. Posters, sets and costumes for the performing arts followed this fashion, and at the same time, Claudette Colbert played Cleopatra. Finally, the creations of major houses such as Lanvin or Cartier combined antiquity and the spirit of the 1920s in their models. Art Deco & Egyptomania is embellished with detailed and original iconography and is part of the Art Deco collection, already composed of two books: 1925, When Art Deco Seduced the World, and Art Deco France-North America.

Text in French only