Mariette Harcombe

The Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History in Pretoria, South Africa, is a holding institute for thousands of objects that are accessioned in its collections, including a small collection of Egyptian antiquities. As a multitude of these objects have been donated to the museum over many decades by private collectors, some information regarding object provenance and provenience is unknown. Missing details often include the object’s place of origin, its relative production date, production materials, as well as production methods and techniques. The archaeology collection features a small collection of ancient Egyptian bronze statuettes, also known as votive figures. Four bronzes, Sekhmet, Bastet/Cat, the Jackal/Dog, and the ibis, were investigated as part of the author’s doctoral study, which employed a mixed methodological approach that combined surface investigations, tomography, and comparative stylistic analysis to provide insights into ancient production. This article focuse...

The dissertation investigates the ancient Egyptian furniture industry, from ancient production and preservation, to modern-day reconstruction and conservation. The main focus of the dissertation falls on an in-depth investigation of styles and designs that can be viewed as characteristic/diagnostic of ancient Egyptian furniture. Emphasis falls on the evolution of functional and decorative elements and the development of individual items. Key design markers are identified and the developments of certain styles are traced. In-depth discussions reveal the finer structural and design elements of individual items along a chronological time frame. These include beds, stools, chairs, footrests, couches, boxes and chests, tables, bed canopies and screens. Introductory chapters provide the reader with background information relevant to the ancient Egyptian furniture industry, including tree species and timber properties, trade and import, tools, technologies and production methods, while the...