Orientalism and the Artisanal Revival in 19th- and 20th-Century Egypt

By the end of the 19th century, international pressure and initiatives for the rescue of Egypt’s Islamic legacy led to the foundation of the Comité in 1881, and shortly afterwards, in 1883, to the establishment of the Museum of Islamic Art, then called the Museum of Arab Art. In the course of their colossal endeavour to preserve and restore the monuments of Cairo, which is well documented, the Comité contributed to the revival of traditional crafts that
also included portable artefacts and furnishings. The article discusses this aspect of their activities.