Bronze Pocket Emptier With Egyptomaniac Decoration, Circa 1930

Bronze trinket dish with Egyptomaniac decoration, circa 1930

Small cast bronze trinket dish in the shape of an anthropoid sarcophagus, inspired by ancient Egyptian motifs. The lid is decorated with the face of a pharaoh wearing a nemes, framed by stylized hieroglyphs and emblematic figures, including an ibis, a falcon, and a seated figure.

The object is designed to open in two parts, reminiscent of the shape of a discreet casket. The engravings are in slight relief, evoking the style of Egyptian funerary bas-reliefs.

Good overall condition, original patina preserved. Traces of use consistent with age.

This pocket emptier is part of the Egyptomania movement, which experienced a marked revival in the 1920s and 1930s, particularly after the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter in 1922. This spectacular rediscovery of ancient Egypt fueled an international craze, particularly in Europe and the United States, for the forms, symbols and motifs of pharaonic art.

Egyptomania was then expressed in the fields of decorative arts, jewelry, architecture and domestic design. This type of object, both utilitarian and decorative, reflects this fascination mixed with archaeological romanticism and the aesthetics of the time.

Length: 11cm
Width: 4cm