Last Thursday, members of the Cambridge Design community enjoyed a captivating visit to a unique late night viewing of the ‘Made in Ancient Egypt’ at the Fitzwilliam Museum. This after-hours event allowed us to experience the exhibition material and ancient design pieces, whilst trying our hand at hieroglyphics, enjoying Egyptian delicacies in the ‘sensing’ workshop and soaking up the vibrant music of the Cambridge Takht & The Pomegranates band.
The exhibition focussed on the skills, creative processes and crafts of luxury and everyday objects, as well as expanding on the technologies behind how papyrus paper was made, the intricacies in burial structures, and the combination of rare and beautiful materials. We were inspired by the use of colour, techniques and ingenuity of skill in how ancient Egyptian makers approached design tasks, and witnessed not just the finished objects but a rare insight into the process methods of how these things were designed. We were shocked to see this creativity still surviving in its original form to this day, over 2000 years later!
We had a wonderful time discovering the creative world of ancient Egypt and soaking up the atmosphere of the late event. Our next social outing will be in the Lent Term at the Botanical Gardens, to discuss bio-based design and the natural world as inspiration. Stay tuned for details on how you can get involved. We hope to see you there!