"THE EGYPTIAN"
BY PHIL EASTWOOD
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I have several cases by Phil Eastwood, all of which I love. But this is my favorite, and one of the finest I've seen him create. As I've said for several years, his work stands on a tier all its own, and I truly believe his work will someday be displayed in museums.
It's easy to look at his work and attest to his artistry and skill, but it's easy to overlook the amount of research that he puts into developing his pieces. This one is a great example. After travelling in Egypt two years ago, I came back enthralled with the images and colors of Egyptian art. I talked with Phil about doing an "Egyptian" case, and he was immediately taken by the idea. He quickly launched into exhaustive research about the various Egyptian Gods, pharoahs, and iconic pieces of architecture, and began thinking about how to tie them into one cohesive piece of art. This case is the result.
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As you can see, he didn't take the challenge lightly. The first big difference in this case and others he has made is that he did this one in 22k gold leaf. He literally pounded paper thin sheets of 22k gold foil into the leather images, resulting in the shimmering overall look of the case.
Still, that's only the beginning. He captured many of the iconic images of ancient Egypt - their gods, pharoahs and many of their stunning architectural achievements. These include images of the Great Pyramids of Giza, one of their ancient obelisks, the easily recognized Sphinx, and several of the key Egyptian gods.
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The "head" of the case - actually the lid- is a recreation of the head of Ramses - one of the great Pharoahs of Egypt from a long dynasty of rulers. They were responsible for the building of many of the greatest pyramids.
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He began at the top of the case with the more ornate, colorful art of the later Egyptian periods. As he moved down the case, he takes the various images back in time to the less ornate and more primitive images of earlier times. The case, in essence, tells the history of Egyptian art forms.
Notice the gigantic beetle highlighted about a third of the way down the case. This form eventually evolved into the ornate "scarab" shape that we all recognize from various pieces of jewelry and ornate furniture.
Below the beetle is yet another carving of a Pharoah - again, in 22k gold leaf.
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He did an outstanding job of recreating the beautiful colors they used in building their temples and tombs. Anyone who has toured the great pyramids at Giza, or the ancient tombs in the Valley of the Kings will recognize the brilliant blues, reds and golds that they used extensively to honor their Gods and pharoahs.
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Phil expertly transcribed many hieroglyphic figures from the Egyptian alphabet and ilncluded them in his carvings. They add to the beauty as well as the historical value.
The detail in this case is incredible. He even crushed various semi-precious stones into paint to create a coating on the carved "jewels" scattered around the case to give them a luminescence and look almost like real precious stones.
At the bottom of the case he does an excellent recreation of the ancient Sphinx, right down to the missing nose. History tells us that the nose was intact until the early 1800s when Napoleon's soldiers invaded and used the nose for target practice.
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Above the Sphinx is a recreation of one of the original eight early obelisks built in Egypt. These were considered great architectural achievements at the time and paid homage to their Gods.
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When the "lid" of the case opens, there is a second "scarab" just below an Egyptian cross - more properly called the ankh, or the key of life. Many ancient images show the Pharoahs holding sticks topped with this cross. It is commonly associated with eternal life.
The lid is ornately carved with other significant markings, including several small cobra heads toward the back. However, the reverred cobra is strikingly recreated as the strap pad on the rear of the case. It is one of the many highlights of the case, and one of my favorites.
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The back of the case is as nearly painstakingly carved and painted as the front. There is no shortage of detail on this case; every square inch is meticulously planned and executed.
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The giant cobra head that has been made into the strap pad is one of my favorite parts of the case. The image and colors are striking - no pun intended.
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The shoulder strap itself carries the name of the case: "The Egyptian." It is carefully carved and perfectly executed. It adds the final touch to a brilliant piece of original and irreplaceable art.
This piece is not for sale, but will be on display from time to time.
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