The exotic Art Deco style and design

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 Egyptian in its motif and media is the Cartier vanity case produced in 1925. 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 the modernism of Art Deco. The screen is abstract in its design, and it lacks any anthropomorphic, zoomorphic, or floral motifs. Rendered in wood, Gray uses a lacquer technique to apply black, red, and silver leaf. Although it lacks the nature motifs that are often present on original Japanese interior screens, Gray's screen has an earthy feel because of the materials she uses and the final form the item takes.

Pierre Legrain's stool from 1923 presents a return to Egyptian motif and design, as it resembles the hard "pillows" that were often placed in mummy sarcophagi. Rather than use the curved base for the neck, however, Legrain envisions it for the behind. The result is an item that is likely far more comfortable than the pillow version used by the Egyptians. In terms of materials, Legrain's stool is more sub-Saharan Africa than it is Egyptian. Dark woods and sharkskin combine for an exotic effect, but one that is far from being frivolous. The stool is elegant; its forms are strong and solid enough to be a practical design element while also being fine art.