20th Century, Pair Of Lacquered Giltwood Armchairs In Egyptian Revival Style

20th Century, Pair of Lacquered Giltwood Armchairs in Egyptian revival style

This particular pair of armchairs, made of carved wood, lacquered and golden, is very bright and decorative.The armchairs can be placed in any furnishing context as they are very special objects that are suitable to be combined with both antique and contemporary.
They are in Egyptian style and are inspired by the famous golden throne of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, whose tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt, in 1922 by the archaeologist Howard Carter.The discovery of certain objects in Egypt, including this throne, greatly influenced artistic taste, from fashion to architecture, to applied art, in the era of Art Deco throughout Europe.
Not many replicas of the throne are known and therefore this pair of armchairs is to be considered rare and valuable, as well as very decorative and curious.
King Tutankhamun’s Golden Throne is a masterpiece of art, not only in Ancient Egyptian times, but also in the art history of mankind in general. Symbol of authority and prestige, the throne was built at the beginning of the reign of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Amarna style.
The main scene on the back of the golden throne depicts Tutankhamun sitting on a throne in front of his wife Ankhesenamen, represented as he bows and touches the shoulder massaging the king’s body with particular types of fragrant ointments. The scene is full of signs of love and affection between the royal couple, enhanced by some decorations around: flowers and fruit are considered symbols of love and affection in ancient Egyptian art.
The king is represented with a crown composite with snakes, a solar disk and feathers. He wears a broad collar that covers much of his shoulder and chest and the very long and pleated royal kilt. He rests his feet on a stool. In front of the king, there is his queen and wife Ankhesenamen who wears a composite crown with two feathers, a solar disk and two horns. He has a wig and his dress is made of silver.
The decorations on the rest of the throne are part of a precise iconographic program that the pharaoh wanted to emphasize his control of Upper Egypt (represented by the lotus plant) and Lower Egypt (its symbol is the papyrus plant). The wings that decorate the armrests personify the union of territories.
The heads of lions, present next to the sitting, and the legs of a lion with which the four legs of the throne end, want to remember the ferocity and power of the king. Since the lions were believed to have lived on the edge of the desert, are also considered as the guardians of the eastern and western horizons, the places of sunrise and sunset, symbols of the past and future, bridge between the earthly life and the eternal life of the afterlife.