Prehistoric & egyptian era

HISTORY

OF

INTERIOR DESIGN - I

Ar. S.H.R.Jawahar Benazir

School of Architecture & Interior Design, SRM University

1

EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD

• PREHISTORIC CAVE PAINTINGS

• PRIMITIVE DESIGNS

INTERIORS DURING EGYPTIAN PERIOD

INTERIORS DURING GREEK PERIOD

INTERIORS DURING ROMAN PERIOD

INTERIORS DURING GOTHIC PERIOD

EARLY CHRISTIAN PERIOD

RENAISSANCE PERIOD

History of Interior Design - I

2


PREHISTORIC

CAVE

PAINTINGS

3

Pre-historic Cave Paintings

4

ICE AGE – STONE AGE

• Earliest upright human beings came into existence 4.4 million years ago.

• Homo sapiens (“wise humans”) appeared about 200,000 years ago.

• Earliest humans from Africa.

• As the Ice Age glaciers receded, humans spread across Asia, into Europe, and

finally to Australia and the Americas

PRE-HISTORIC PERIODS

• Paleolithic - (35,000 – 8,000 BCE) Old Stone Age - Paleo = old / Lithic = stone

• Mesolithic - (8,000 – 4,000 BCE) Old Stone Age - Meso = middle / Lithic = stone

• Neolithic - (6,000 – 1500 BCE) New Stone Age Neo = new / Lithic = stone

• Bronze Age - (2300 - 1000 BCE) Bronze - alloy metal made from tin and copper.

• Iron Age - (1000 BCE - ) Iron – cutting tools and weapons made from iron or steel

• Cave paintings are paintings on cave walls

and ceilings, and the term is used especially

for those dating to prehistoric times.

• The earliest European cave paintings date to

Aurignacian, some 32,000 years ago.

• The purpose of the Paleolithic cave

paintings is not known.

• The evidence suggests that they were not

merely decorations of living areas, since the

caves in which they have been found do not

have signs of ongoing habitation.

• Also, they are often in areas of caves that

are not easily accessed.

• Some theories hold that they may have been

a way of communicating with others, while

other theories ascribe them a religious or

ceremonial purpose.


C AVE P AI N T I N G S

5


Well known cave paintings include those of:

• Grotte de Cussac, France

• Lascaux, France

• La Marche, in Lussac-les-Châteaux, France

• Chauvet Cave, near Vallon-Pont-d'Arc, France

• Cave of Niaux, France

• Cave of Altamira, near Santillana del Mar, Cantabria, Spain

• Cueva de La Pasiega, Cuevas de El Castillo, Cantabria, Spain

• Cosquer Cave, Marseille, France

• Font-de-Gaume, in the Dordogne Valley in France .

Lascaux.-Room of the Bulls.

Chauvet Cave

paintings

Cosquer cave paintings

Font de Gaume Cave Paintings

6

AGE

• Nearly 350 caves have now been

discovered in France and Spain that

contain art from prehistoric times.

• The oldest known cave art is that of

Chauvet in France, the paintings of

which may be 32,000 years old and

date back to 30,000 BCE (Upper

Paleolithic).

• Other examples may date as late as

the Early Bronze Age, but the well

known prolific and sophisticated style

from Lascaux and Altamira died out

about 10,000 years ago, coinciding

with the advent of the Neolithic period.

• Some caves continued to be painted in

for a long time.


7

spotted hyena painting found in

the Chauvet Cave

T H E M E S

• The most common themes in cave paintings are large

wild animals, such as bison, horses, aurochs, and deer,

and tracings of human hands as well as abstract

patterns, called finger flutings.

• Drawings of humans were rare and are usually

schematic rather than the more naturalistic animal

subjects.

• One explanation for this may be that realistically

painting the human form was "forbidden by a powerful

religious taboo.”

• Cave art may have begun in the Aurignacian period

(Hohle Fels, Germany), but reached its apogee in the

late Magdalenian (Lascaux, France).

• Many of the paintings were drawn with red and yellow

ochre, hematite, manganese oxide and charcoal.

• Sometimes the silhouette of the animal was incised in

the rock first.


Cueva de las Manos (Spanish for

Cave of the Hands)in Argentina

8

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:20,000_Year_Old_Cave_Paintings_Hyena.gif

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/SantaCruz-CuevaManos-P2210651b.jpg

• These were painted by the Magdalenian people

between 16,000-9,000 BC. This would have been

11,000-19,000 years ago.

• These paintings at Altimira are mainly of the bison.

• Many of the bison are drawn and then painted using

the boulders for the animal’s shoulders. This made

them look three-dimensional.

• These paintings are sometimes called “The Sistine

Chapel of Paleolithic Art”.


CAVE PAINTINGS OF ALTIMIRA, SPAIN

9

• Known as "the prehistoric Sistine Chapel," the Lascaux

Caves, a cave complex in southwestern France, contain

some of the most remarkable paleolithic cave paintings in

the world, from at least 15,000 years ago.


LASCAUX, FRANCE

• There are seven chambers in the Lascaux cave; the Great Hall of the Bulls,

the Painted Gallery, the Lateral Passage, the Chamber of Engravings, the

Main Gallery, the Chamber of Felines, and the Shaft of the Dead Man.

• The Hall of the Bulls is the most impressive. It is composed of horses, bulls,

and stags. Some of the animals have been painted over, suggesting that

different groups of people might have lived in this same cave.

• The painting in the Shaft of the Dead Man is unusual

because the human figure is not normally drawn.

• This scene shows the image of a man that appears

to have been killed by the bison.

10

• Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc cave in the South of France is

the newest cave painting to be discovered.

• There is a menagerie of animals on the walls of

these caves.

• Many of the animals like the ones in Lascaux were

painted over each other. The oldest were probably

painted around 30,000 BC, making them about

32000 years old.

• It appears to have been occupied by humans during

two distinct periods: the Aurignacian and the

Gravettian. Most of the artwork dates to the earlier,

Aurignacian, era (30,000 to 32,000 years ago). The

later Gravettian occupation, which occurred 25,000

to 27,000 years ago,

• The cave was probably occupied for nearly 10,000

years.

• It is thought that a violent collapse blocked the

natural entrance.


CAVE PAINTINGS CHAUVET-PONT-D'ARC

11

• Humans had not learned to write during the prehistoric time period. They communicated through

cave paintings.

• Why did man find a need to paint on the walls of the caves? We know that most of the paintings

were of animals.

• However, there are a few paintings that have human figures either in etchings or in a painting,

like the scene in Lascaux of the Dead Man.

• The face of the dead man is represented by a bird’s face, but it is the body of a human. Perhaps

they did not want to portray a human face, thinking that it might take the soul.

• There are three theories that the prehistoric man might have painted animals on the walls of the

caves.

• Perhaps the cave man wanted to decorate the cave and chose animals because they were

important to their existence.

• The second theory could have been that they considered this magic to help the hunters. Perhaps

if the artist could capture the image of the animal, they could capture the animal in a hunt.

• Prehistoric man could have used the painting of animals on the walls of caves to document their

hunting expeditions.

12

THEORIES ABOUT THE CAVE PAINTINGS

• Prehistoric people would have used natural

objects to paint the walls of the caves.

• To etch into the rock, they could have used

sharp tools or a spear.

• The paint or color that they probably used

was from berries, clay, soot, or charcoal.

• The tools used to apply the paint could

have been made by attaching straw,

leaves, moss, or hair to sticks.

• They might have used hollow bones or

reeds to spray the color on, similar to an

airbrush technique.


13

METHODS OF PAINTING

One of the bisons on the

ceiling of Altamira in Spain,

representing the final stage of

polychrome art in which four

shades of colour are used.

These portraits of

humans are

engravings on stone

slabs at La Marche,

Vienne, France,


INTERIORS

DURING

EGYPTIAN PERIOD 14

Lower (northern) Egypt

consisted of the Nile River's

delta made by the river as

it empties into the

Mediterranean.

E g y p t i a n P e r i o d

15

Ancient Egypt was divided into two regions:

Upper and Lower Egypt

Upper Egypt was

the long, narrow

strip of ancient

Egypt located south

of the Delta.

Note :

Upper Egypt is the

Oldest Part Of Egypt

For much of Egypt‘s history

Lower Egypt (lower) was

thinly settled

16

Hieroglyphs -

Ancient Egyptian Writing


17

•In Predynastic times, Egypt was divided geographically and politically into

Upper Egypt (the southern, upstream part of the Nile Valley), which was

dry, rocky, and culturally rustic, and

Lower (northern) Egypt, which was opulent, urban, and populous.

•Probably because of its relative impermanence, painting was little used as a

medium of representation; it appears to have served principally as accessory

to sculpture. A rare example is the painting of geese from a tomb at Meidum.


The Early Dynastic Period saw the:

• Formation of cultural identity

• Stone Artifacts

• Mud minor arts - pottery, vases and bowls

• Brick architecture.

• The ancient Egyptians formed the first of the great classical civilizations.

• While most of Europe was still in the Stone Age, the Egyptians were building

palaces, studying mathematics and writing on papyrus.

• They were great builders and great artists, drawing the inspiration for their art

from nature.

• A complex social and religious structure was in place.

• The Egyptians kept books of accounts and recorded history; their children

played with carved wooden toys with moving parts.

• The presence of stools, chests, footrests, small cabinets, small tables, and

even vase stands, points to a fairly high level of organisation in living

arrangements.

18


19


MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD

• Quarrying, surveying and construction techniques that facilitated the building

of monumental pyramids, temples, and obelisks; made bricks.

• Irrigation systems and agricultural production techniques; harnessed animals

for work.

• The first known ships; used sails on the water.

• Used wheels on land.

• Trained donkeys to carry people.

• Combined copper and tin to make bronze; forged tools from copper.

• Developed hieroglyphics.

• The greatest architectural achievements of the Ancient Egyptians were the

pyramids.

• A system of mathematics

• A practical and effective system of medicine

• Egyptian faience and glass technology

• new forms of literature.

20


ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ART FORMS

1. Architecture - The style

developed during the Pre-

dynastic period remained

unchanged for 2000 years

2. Crafts & Sculpture - Symbolic

elements were widely used and

strict laws were applied

3. Paintings - The pictures found in

Egyptian tombs were connected

with the idea of afterlife.

The themes of Egyptian painting included protective Gods of the underworld and

man’s voyage through life after death.

http://www.aldokkan.com/art/architecture.htm

http://www.aldokkan.com/art/craft.htm





http://www.aldokkan.com/art/painting.htm

21

THEMES OF ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ART

• Religion is its prime theme.

• The art of carving reached its first peak in 2600 B.C - Egyptian Art includes a

range of art forms like stone carving of large and small statues and wall art.

• Egyptian figures (human forms) tend to possess a certain regal presence which

glorifies the ruling case.

• Characterized by perfect observation and representation of life forms and

symbolism (esp. the use of symbols for Gods and Goddesses) with less weight age

to beautification.

• An important reason for the emphasis on vivid depiction of life forms is the

Egyptian belief in life after death and their expectation that the dead would bank on

their art for company in the “other world”.

• Mortar was not used.

• Work was planned such that the stones - made of sun-dried and kiln baked bricks,

granite, limestone or fine sandstone – fit exactly into one another like a jigsaw.


22


Watercolor copy of a wall painting from tomb 100 at Hierakonpolis, Egypt

ca. 3500-3200 BCE | Paint on plaster, approx. 16' 3 long.

• Found along the oldest tomb’s plaster walls;

• Contains presumed religious scenes and images that include figures from

Egyptian culture – like a Funerary scene ; (possibly) a goddess standing between

two upright lionesses; wheel of various horned quadrupeds; Asses or zebras,

ostriches, lionesses and cattle.

23 Khafre from Gizeh, Egypt

ca. 2,520-2,494 B.C.E.

Approx. 66 in. high

• In Egyptian tombs

statues fulfilled an

important function.

• Sculptures created

images of the deceased

to serve as abodes for

the ka should the

mummies be destroyed.

• The primary material

for funerary objects

was stone.


ST AT UE S FOR E T E RNIT Y

24


Goats Treading Seed and Cattle Fording a Canal - Saqqara, Egypt -

Mastaba of Ti - ca. 2450-2350 B.C.E. | painted limestone

25


Hieroglyphs often

decorated the

tombs of

important ancient

Egyptians.

Hieroglyphs and a

picture of her

playing chess

Queen Nefertiti's tomb

26


27


28

ANC IE NT E GYP T IAN AR T • Ancient Egyptian art refers to the style of painting, sculpture, crafts and

architecture developed by the civilization in the lower Nile Valley from 5000 BC to

300 BC.

• Ancient Egyptian art as expressed in painting and sculpture was both highly

stylized and symbolic.

• Much of the surviving art comes from tombs and monuments and thus there is an

emphasis on life after death and the preservation of knowledge of the past .

AR T ST YL E • Because of the highly religious nature of ancient Egyptian civilization, many of

the works of ancient Egypt depict gods, goddesses, and pharaohs, who were

also considered divine.

• Ancient Egyptian art is characterized by the idea of order.

• Clear and simple lines combined with simple shapes and flat areas of color helped

to create a sense of order and balance in the art of ancient Egypt.

• Symbolism also played an important role in establishing a sense of order.

• Symbolism, ranging from the pharaoh's regalia (symbolizing his power to maintain

order) to the individual symbols of Egyptian gods and goddesses, is omnipresent in

Egyptian art.

• Animals: Animals were usually also highly symbolic figures in Egyptian art.

• Colors: Colors were more expressive rather than natural: red skin implied

vigorous tanned youth, whereas yellow skin was used for women or middle-aged

men who worked indoors

• Blue or gold indicated divinity because of its unnatural appearance and association

with precious materials

• The use of black for royal figures expressed the fertility of the Nile from which

Egypt was born.

29

SYM B OL ISM

• Ancient Egyptian artists used vertical and horizontal reference lines in order to

maintain the correct proportions in their work.

• Political & religious, as well as artistic order, was also maintained in Egyptian art.


• Painted relief sculpture lined the walls of

pyramids.

• This is called a stele -A stele is a carved

upright stone slab used as a monument. This stele shows Ramses II

slaying his enemies.

30


SC UL P T UR E

• Ancient Egyptians followed a

very strict set of rules in their

art. One of these rules was to

show the human body from the

most familiar or visible angle.

• Again, the figures appear to be

rigid and stylized. (the left foot

and body posture.)

• Artists used materials found in

the Nile river valley, namely –

Gold, Turquoise, Lapis Lazuli, Red

coral, Glass

31


P AINT ING

Paintings tell us about the

daily lives of the ancient

Egyptians. The gods are

often depicted in the tomb

paintings

32


Craftsmen made

furniture, jewelry,

pottery etc.,

33


C R AFT S

P OT T E R Y

• Ancient Egyptians used carved small pieces of vases and

several other objects.

• They also discovered the art of covering pottery with enamel.

• Different types of pottery items were deposited in burial

chambers of the dead.

34


1070-712 B.C.-Egyptian, Dynasty 21-22

Limestone - height 48.3 cm (17 1/2-19 in.)

Their internal organs were separately treated

and, during much of Egyptian history, placed in

jars of clay or stone.

C ANOP IC JAR S

These so-called Canopic Jars were closed with stoppers fashioned in the shape

of four heads - human, baboon, falcon, and jackal - representing the four

protective spirits called the Four Sons of Horus.

Furniture from this period was divided into two groups:

• Platform pieces such as benches, chairs, tables, beds, couches, and stools;, and

boxes such as chests and cupboards.

• There was some surface ornamentation in the form of gilding and carving

• Old Kingdom furniture relied on shape, line, proportion, and texture for its

decorative effect.

• Thrones and chairs featured carved lion-paw feet, beds were decorated with

animal skins and colorful mats,.

• There were stools, chests, footrests, small cabinets, small tables, and even vase

stands.

• Four legged stools with animal shaped legs and sturdy square seats made from

concave wood or woven or braided rushes were important items of the time.

• In the second half of the Old Kingdom, chairs with arms and backs began

appearing..

• Egyptian furniture designs of this age incorporated metal work and inlay, as well

as relief carving, and gilding.

35


OL D K INGDOM FUR NIT UR E

• The Middle Kingdom was further development of earlier trends, with a marked

sophistication evident. Decorative effects such as inlay, paint, gilt, and veneer

became prominent. Popular design motifs included figures of sacred animals

such as cow heads, lion heads, and hippopotamuses.

36


M IDDL E K INGDOM FUR NIT UR E

• The furniture produced during this period is on a luxurious scale, and is also

evidence of greater woodworking skill.

• In wealthy Egyptian homes chairs appear in greater abundance.

• Folding stools were richly painted in bright colors.

• Small, low tables were often woven from rush.

NE W K INGDOM FUR NIT UR E

• PATRICIAN -Only the royal and wealthy

people used furniture.

• RANGE - stools, chairs ,tables , beds

and chests

• VISUAL IMPACT-Highly decorative with

graphic elements

• SYMBOLIC PRESENTATION - Used

symbols especially ceremonial as

inlays or painting on the furniture

• MATERIAL - Ebony wood was mostly

used , it was imported at great

expense.

• TECHNICAL- Excellent craftsmanship

and used plain butt joint

37


FUR NIT UR E

38


• Stools were the most common items

of furniture in Egyptian homes

• It was the Egyptians who invented the

folding stool.

• Since these were much used by army

commanders in the field, they became

a status symbol, and were often

heavily carved and decorated.

• Stools commonly had woven rush

seats.

ST OOL S

• Gold sheathing, ivory inlays, intricate marquetry, inset jewels

and fine stones were used to decorate ancient furniture that

was often carved to represent animal forms.

• Chairs sometimes had feet in the shape of lion's paws or

crocodile feet; legs and feet were sometimes carved to

simulate the legs of a gazelle.

39


C HAIR S

• High backed chairs

are seen in many

paintings. These were

supplemented with

cushions for comfort.

• commonly

incorporated carvings

of flowers, animals or

birds.

40


Golden Throne, Tomb

of Tutankhamun,

18th dynasty

Leg of a stool Leg of a chest or chair

41


• A footboard ensured that the sleeper would

not slip off in the middle of the night.

• Almost all beds featured legs in the form of

animal legs, ranging from heavy bull’s legs

to gazelle-like forms with hooves, and the

feline type with paw and claw, frequently

identified as lion’s legs.“

• The mattress was usually made of wooden

slats, plaited string, or reeds, which then

held woolen cushions or some other soft

material. Sheets were made of linen.

42


B E DS , HE ADR E ST S

• They are among the most fascinating of furniture items

because of their structure.

• They were gently inclined so that the sleeper's head was

elevated, and had a footrest.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/QueenHetepheres_Bed-FuneraryFurniture_MuseumOfFineArtsBoston.png

• Tables were also an important item of Egyptian furniture.

• They were used for eating, writing and playing games.

• They were usually low and easily moveable.

• In many cases, the tops were decorated with marquetry or with inlaid ivory.

• Carved legs, gold sheathing and ivory inlays were used to decorate table legs.

43


T AB L E S


• Chests, boxes and cabinets formed an important part

of Egyptian bedroom furnishings.

• These were highly decorated and were designed for

many different purposes: large chests for storing

household items and linen,

• small compartmentalized ones for storing cosmetics,

and miniature chests with sliding lids and drawers

made to hold jewelry.

44

C HE ST S , B OX E S & C AB INE T S

M AT E R IAL S USE D There were different types of materials used in EGYPT namely,

• COPPER: Until the New Kingdom most of the copper used in Egypt was seemingly

mined in the eastern desert or Sinai.

• GOLD: Egypt was richer in gold than any other country of the region.

• ELECTRUM: Electrum is a gold-silver alloy which occurred naturally. It had a silver

contents somewhat higher than twenty percent.

• SILVER: Egypt had little silver which was not part of gold deposits. Silver was

imported from western Asia.

• BRONZE: The introduction of bronze was a huge improvement in tool and weapon

manufacture. Unlike iron which was a difficult material to work with, bronze

technologies were similar to the techniques improved during the copper age: It

could be cast, hammered cold, improved its toughness.

• IRON: Iron is a very common element and in Egypt iron ores occur in the

mountainous areas of the eastern desert and Sinai.

• LEAD: Lead was of minor importance. Too soft for making tools or weapons

45


CHARACTERISTICS

• Only the king and people

with authority had a seat

to sit others just stood

around .

• Stools, footstools, chairs

and couches were more

common than other

pieces like tables.

• High couches were used

for dining and to sleep.

• The chairs were high

needing a footstool due to

height of chair

46


• The table and chairs legs combine symbolic feature with realistically carved

lion paws.

• They had folding stools with a cushion on it .

E GYP T IAN HOUSE S

47


• There was a huge difference in living

standards between the rich and the

poor.

• Ancient Egyptian homes of the poor

consisted of a living room, a

sleeping room and a kitchen, with

perhaps one or two cellars for

storage.

• These were built with sun-dried

bricks, or reed matting smeared

with clay .

• The average house consisted of four rooms:

• A front room leading from the street, which

may have been used as a meeting place for

guests.

http://www.slide.com/s/9RtSW6ot6z9a8tt5W5F-5GgHWgQYku84?referrer=hlnk

• A living room where the household

shrine was situated. The family

would worship their personal gods

or ancestors here.

• A living space, probably used as a

sleeping area, with a staircase to

a flat roof or upper floor.

48


• A kitchen at the rear of the house, which was open to

the sky to prevent the room from filling with smoke.

• Cellars underneath the rear rooms were used as

storage for foodstuffs.

• Houses were small so each room was multi-purpose.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_afMWIAYnoY4/SRLWZOP0fjI/AAAAAAAAAA0/lnJ3BEUMgN4/s1600-h/ancient+egypt+house.JPG

• The houses of the elite, described as

mansions, followed a similar layout to

the small houses, although they

consisted of a number of small suites

of rooms joined by interlinking

corridors. These gave the elite owners

the privilege of separating the public

from the private family quarters.

Many mansions also contained

• An audience chamber in which to greet

visitors.

• An office in which to conduct business.

49


A bathroom with built-in shower area and toilet (a horseshoe-shaped wooden seat

over a bowl of sand).

Some homes had sunken baths open to the sky.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_afMWIAYnoY4/SRLWiHxTK_I/AAAAAAAAAA8/g44beW7xyuU/s1600-h/elite+house+ancient+egypt.JPG

Education

Prehistoric & egyptian era