Hany Mahmoud: Preserving the Ancient Appliqué Art of the Pharaonic Times
“The tentmakers of Cairo are an important part of Egyptian culture. The tradition of tent making with beautiful decoration goes back thousands of years,” says Hany Mahmoud Abd El Fattah, a traditional khayamiya artisan.
Hany Mahmoud Abd El Fattah in his studio.
Khayamiya, an Arabic word derived from khayma, meaning 'tent', refers to the traditional Egyptian hand-appliqué art featuring elaborate patterns originally worked on the inner surfaces of tents. While these sturdy tents offered protection from the elements, the colourful appliqué of mesmerising patterns created a wondrous world within, making them ideal as temporary residences or for occasions such as weddings.
Isetemkheb B’s Funerary Baldachin (Detail) - National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
Hany’s sentiments are manifest in a stunning exhibit titled The Baldachin of Princess Isetemkheb II, a tent dated 1046–1037 BC, at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo. The tent bears decorations of coloured appliquéd leather and testifies to the antiquity of this art. The caption for the exhibit notes that ancient Egyptians made tents from mats, leather, and thick linen as temporary dwellings. These tents were used during hunting trips, military campaigns, and religious processions to house statues of gods...
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Written by Brinda Gill
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Further information:
Hany Mahmoud (mobile and WhatsApp number) +201002980366
https://m.facebook.com/hany.fatah.3/
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Image Credits:
LEAD: Esam Ali, Tree of Life, Egyptian Cotton Tent Canvas.
Photographs credited to Satyajit S Gill unless otherwise stated in image captions.