Vintage Egyptian Revival Damascene Pyramid Paperweight, Gold Inlay on Blackened Steel with Sphinx and Pharaoh Scenes, Art Deco Desk Object

A 1920s–1930s Egyptian Revival pyramid in damascene work, each of its four faces inlaid in gold against blackened steel. One side shows the Sphinx before the pyramids of Giza; the others carry a pharaoh hunting from a reed boat, a royal couple beneath the rays of the sun, and a figure among hieroglyphs. Pieces like this followed the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, when Egyptian imagery swept through decorative arts and damascene workshops answered with their own versions. Small enough to sit in the palm, with the weight and presence of a desk talisman.

Materials
Blackened steel with gold damascene inlay

Details

• Era: 1920s–1930s
• Style / design notes: Four-sided pyramid with a different engraved and inlaid scene on each face, sun disc at each apex, hieroglyphic borders; unmarked
• Function: Paperweight or desk object
• Color: Black, gold
• Condition: Good vintage condition, small areas of gold loss, oxidation along the lower edges and corners, and scratches and patina on the base
• Measurement: 1.9" by 1.9" by 1.5"

Collected by Mineral and Matter