The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Mummy Linen

Mummy Linen

1540–1296 BCE
(1540–1069 BCE)
linen: plain weave
Overall: 289.6 x 65.4 cm (114 x 25 3/4 in.)
Charles W. Harkness Endowment Fund 1921.1026
Location: not on view

Description

The distressed nature of this ensemble, top and skirt, is inspired by the deterioration of linen wrapped around a mummified body. Olivier Rousteing produced the Egyptian-influenced collection immediately after costuming musical artist Beyoncé’s 2018 Coachella performance, which included two ensembles inspired by Queen Nefertiti. Rousteing had resources like the Louvre Museum’s Egyptian art holdings at his disposal for research. The collection, including this
ensemble, is experimental, exaggerating ancient Egyptian silhouettes and motifs to develop a fresh, youthful take on Egyptomania fashion.
  • purchased at the Lord Amherst sale, June 1921, no. 356 in the Amherst catalogue.
  • "Accessions." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 8, no. 9 (1921): 138-41. Mentioned: P. 138. www.jstor.org
    Lisby, Darnell-Jamal. “Egyptomania: Fashion and the funeral.” Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine vol. 63, no. 2 (2023): 4-7. Reproduced and Mentioned: P. 4.
  • Egyptomania: Fashion's Conflicted Obsession. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 1, 2023-January 28, 2024).
  • {{cite web|title=Mummy Linen|url=false|author=|year=1540–1296 BCE|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1921.1026