Art Deco
A long era of colonialism and imperialism led to a confluence of cultures at the start of the twentieth century. Art and design motifs could borrow from a perceived "exotic," an aesthetic from non-European cultures including those of Africa, India, the South Pacific, and the Far East. The exotic made its way into Art Deco art, architecture, and design in terms of shapes, forms, motifs, colors, and materials. Especially in the early Art Deco movement during the 1920s, so-called exotic materials such as zebra skin and dark woods made their way into furniture and decor.
For example, Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann's dressing table from 1925 combines solid oak with ebony and ivory inlay design. The ebony and ivory both represent the exotic. The overall effect combines the familiar with the exotic, into new shapes, forms, and textures. The dressing table's shape, furthermore, is reminiscent of Egyptian papyrus and has a lotus flower form.
Even more overtly...
The case is shaped unequivocally and unapologetically like an Egyptian sarcophagus. At its head is the image of an Egyptian sphinx head, which can also be construed as a funereal or mummy mask. Along the sides of the vanity case, the designers applied purely Egyptian decorative elements such as palm fronds. Such fronds frequently adorn the column tops on an Egyptian temple. The figurine carved into the bone-top lid is in Egyptian design. The bone, inlaid semi-precious, and precious stones are all considered exotic materials that blend well with the Egyptian motif. Cartier has produced several similar pieces that draw on the exotic mystique and aesthetic of ancient Egypt.
Eileen Gray's 1928 screen is certainly less overtly exotic as it lacks referential points to Egypt. However, the screen is a direct reference or homage to Japanese interior design. Furthermore, Gray's screen encapsulates…
