Egyptian Decorative Art

Published 1895, these illustrated lectures explore the historical development of ancient Egyptian decorative art and its influence on modern-day design.

Published by pioneering archaeologist Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) in 1895, these lectures explore the historical development of ancient Egyptian decorative art. By examining and illustrating its geometrical, natural, structural and symbolic patterns, Petrie argues that ancient Egyptian artistry influences much modern-day design.Among the leading Egyptologists of his day, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists. He published these carefully illustrated lectures in 1895. Exploring the ancient Egyptians' passion for decoration, he demonstrates his view that the elaborate use of hieroglyphs and design 'made the Egyptian the father of the world's ornament'. Petrie describes and illustrates the four main areas of decoration: the geometrical use of lines, spirals and curves; the representation of natural images such as feathers and flowers; the existence of structural patterns resulting from ancient techniques of building or manufacture; and the use of symbolic emblems such as the vulture, scarab and lion. Much modern-day design, Petrie argues, is influenced by ancient Egyptian aesthetics. Many of his other publications - for both Egyptologists and non-specialists - are also reissued in this series.