Every perfume bottle, framed papyrus print and tile in the Egyptian
Collectables' range is individually hand made, in Egypt, by the craftsmen
and trades-people of that country. Each item is unique.
Not only do our products make an unusual gift they are also attractive
interior accessories which would grace any home.
Each product is a link back to an ancient culture, which holds
a wealth of mystery and enchantment.
Every item is packaged with its own certificate of provenance, your
guarantee that it's genuinely made in Egypt by craftsmen and trades-people.
 THE
ANCIENT ART OF GLASS BLOWING
The ancient Egyptian art of glass perfume bottle manufacture is
still very much alive in modern day Egypt. Due to men like Ayman
Abdel Kader, who over the last one hundred years have made the secret
art of glass blowing into a modern cultural art form.
From a tiny workshop in Khan el Khalili in Cairo the artists create
hand blown and hand painted examples of this craft which began in Pharaonic
times and which has found a popular market today.
 Made with a Pyrex glass brought from Czechoslovakia and 12 ct liquid
gold, the pieces are initially heated to temperatures exceeding 1000
C before being blown into graceful shapes.
Firstly the clear glass bottle is blown and allowed to cool. Afterwards
extravagant colours and liquid gold are painted on by hand and the
pieces reheated to 525 C.
Some are etched using a chemical which is applied to the cold glass
bottle.
A small simple bottle can take a craftsman 25 minutes to make. A
larger more intricate piece can take 5 hours or more.
 The
designs of perfume bottles have changed little over the millennia
since the time of the pharaohs.
A bottle made today can be indistinguishable from ones made 3000
years ago.
Thanks to the skills of traditional Egyptian craftsmen this secret
art lives on.
PAPYRUS
 Origins
The perennial plant Cyperus papyrus has been known to the Egyptians
since around3000 BC. It grows in abundance along the banks of the
River Nile and was used by ancient Egyptians for making river boats,
ropes, baskets, boxes sandals and mats.
Writing paper
However the most important use of papyrus was in producing writing
materials. The smooth surface for writing on was perfected around
1500 BC and revolutionised the process of record keeping.
Papyrus today
The process of paper making from papyrus was revived in the early
1970's and is used nowadays mostly in the art and tourism industries.
 The
plant
Cyperus papyrus grows to some 4.5 metres in height and is harvested
between October and December. The only part of the plant broad enough
to produce wide strips for paper making is the lower stems which
are trimmed to about 60 cm in length.
Preparation of the stems
The green outer rind is peeled off leaving white fibrous stalks which
are sliced into strips of equal thickness. The strips are soaked
in water and then beaten with a mallet to flatten them. They are
then rolled to produce transparent flat pieces with exposed fibres.
Making paper
Excess water is removed by passing the strips through rollers after
which they are ready to be made into paper. Each strip is laid
horizontally onto a cotton pad with the edges overlapping slightly.
More strips are then placed vertically over the first layer. A
second cotton pad is placed on top and the sheet is pressed until
all the moisture is removed. The fibres bond together under the
pressure resulting in a sheet of flat fibrous paper.
 Finished
product
The papyrus is polished ready to be written, painted or printed on.
The finished sheets of paper are usually around 30 cm x 40 cm replicating
the largest size produced in ancient Egypt. These sheets can then
be glued together to produce scrolls. Usually designs found on ancient
Egyptian papyri are copied by initially screen printing an outline
before hand painting in the detail.
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