"Although Soane himself never travelled to Egypt, he was deeply fascinated by its ancient culture - famously acquiring the sarcophagus of Seti I for his house collection. Yet, for all his admiration, Soane was dismissive of the Egyptomania sweeping through Georgian society, where Egyptian motifs were plastered onto anything that could be decorated. He regarded this craze as a form of early cultural appropriation, trivialising the civilisation he revered."
"Before the deciphering of hieroglyphs, many romantically speculated about the secret wisdom they might contain. Enlightened individuals would adorn their desks with Egyptian-inspired "executive toys" as proof of their sophistication. What would they have thought had they known the tablets they idolised as containing mystical wisdom were probably Egyptian bakers complaining about not being paid? So, located in a room above Soane's famous sarcophagus, the exhibition examines how Egyptian design was adapted and reinterpreted by British artists and architects."
A new exhibition at Sir John Soane's Museum traces 250 years of Egyptian influence on British design, from 250-year-old wood carvings to contemporary architecture. The collection ranges from domestic objects such as salt and pepper shakers and Liberty prints to industrial items like Singer sewing machines and a now-demolished Homebase. Soane admired ancient Egypt and acquired Seti I's sarcophagus, yet rejected Georgian Egyptomania as trivialising and an early form of cultural appropriation. Romantic pre-decipherment ideas led to Egyptian-themed "executive toys" and misinterpretations of hieroglyphic tablets. The display includes Soane's drawings, Egyptian-style fireplaces, a 1775 Grinling Gibbons drawing, and a 1993 unused ceiling proposal.
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