More Amarna Research
The Felucca
I did say, when I first began working on the “Dreams of Amarna” panels, that I did not intend to become an Egyptologist. I still don’t, but at the same time, my interest in the Egyptology of the thirties, and in what Mary Chubb might have known or had access to, has extended somewhat as I have discovered more.
Recently BBC4 showed a documentary called The Man Who Discovered Egypt, so of course I pricked up my ears. When I realised that the presenter was the current director of the Egypt Exploration Society, Dr Chris Naunton (@chrisnaunton for the Twitterers among you), and his subject was Flinders Petrie, I made absolutely sure to record the programme so I could watch at my leisure. It was fascinating, and I may very well get further ideas for scenes on my edge panels from looking at it again.
For those in the UK that missed it and are interested, the programme is being rebroadcast on Tues 15 May at 10pm, on BBC4.
As it happens, Chris Naunton was the first person I spoke to at the EES when I started my research, so I emailed to say how much I’d enjoyed the programme. He replied, and added that the digitisation of the archive (which gave me the original picture for the Felucca, above) has been continuing apace. The EES now has its own YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL85556374907053C0&feature=plcp
Furthermore, some of the film shows JDS Pendlebury, the Director of Excavations in Mary Chubb’s time, not just working, but playing – organising a sports day for the worker’s children, having a spoof argument with colleagues – and, very importantly for me, there is film of an incident which is described in the book, of bringing back a heavily carved and coloured door-lintel from the site to the Expedition House. Whether I will be able to create a feasible embroidery design from that welter of imagery remains to be seen – but it will be really worth a try, won’t it!
Definitely worth a try! And how lovely that your interest in sewing has also widened your interests and stimulated your interest in Egyptology.
Ah, Tuesday 15th May at 10pm … we were doing last minute revision for Citizenship GCSE! So I still haven’t seen the programme! It sounds as though it was just what you needed for additional material for the side panels!
If anyone can do it in embroidery then I think you can 🙂 Sounds very interesting.
Oh those delicious links, just what I love, thank you. As to the embroidery, of course you can.
How interesting! Fascinating stuff. I have enjoyed catching up with your posts, now I’m a bit more fluid in my movements! Many thanks for your good wishes.
I’ll look that up on iplayer 🙂
you certainly have a lot of inspiration to take forward and inspire the remainder of your piece.
Oh we’re heading back to Egypt! I can’t wait. I love reading all this history stuff and research. Glad to see you found another source of information.
The more you know about Egypt, the more you want to know… I have first-hand experience with this myself. How wonderful to have more information from the time you are working with and have lots of new images to keep the project growing.
I just love the subtle reflection of the felucca. 😮