SCARAB Damask Tablecloth 1920s Linen Egyptian Design

Rare and stunning: True era 1920s scarab damask tablecloth, featuring symbols representing the Upper Kingdom and Lower Kingdom of Egypt and presented with a pure Art Deco aesthetic. This is a rectangular tablecloth measuring 71 x 85 inches. The long edges are selvedge edges and the short ends are neatly hand hemmed. The design is absolutely out of this world! Most of my photos are close-ups of each design vignette so I’ve included a “floor plan” to show where each vignette falls and how often it is repeated.

In each corner, there is a large winged scarab holding the sun in it’s palps. The scarab was a symbol of rebirth and transformation used throughout Egypt. The scarab stands above another sun, it’s art deco stylized rays shown if full mid-day blaze. Lotus and papyrus blooms, the symbolic flowers of Upper and Lower Egypt, are used as flourishes.

The other design at the outer edge of the tablecloth is a pair of winged serpents. Winged serpents were believed to guard the Frankincense groves of Arabia. Periodically, they would invade Egyptian lands and the sacred Ibis birds would drive them back. Graceful lotus flowers and leaves fill the spaces between the scarabs and serpents, with a ring of papyrus blossoms at the outer edge.

Celebrating the symbols unique to Upper and Lower Kingdoms, the inner ring of designs alternates majestic birds and snakes. The bird is actually a Vulture protecting Egypt’s Upper Kingdom. He is crowned by three lotus blooms which is the flower of the Upper Kingdom. The snakes are the symbol of the Goddess Wadjet, ancient protector of Egypt’s Lower Kingdom. The snakes curve around a lotus flower, as if to protect the Upper Kingdom as it grows and flourishes, and are crowned by three papyrus blossoms.

The condition of this scarab damask tablecloth is amazing: No holes or fabric loss to fraying. On the entire expanse of fabric, there is one faint spot that is only visible on one side of the fabric, and does NOT show as discoloration when light comes through the fabric – weird, right? It is about the size of a nickel. I would call the overall tone of the fabric “soft white” and have included a photo with a snowy white napkin for comparison.

Please take your time with the photos, and consider them part of the description. Let me know if you have any questions and feel free to check out the many scarab treasures available in my shop!  Purchases from the WhyteWing website benefit The Trevor Project, but if you are more comfortable making your purchase on a platform like Etsy, these Lovely Scarabs are listed there as well.