Egypt has a wide variety of gifts and souvenirs for us travellers to take home. From Papyrus scrolls to neon pyramids. But why not look for something more personal and handmade to remember your holiday in the Red Sea?

On a short walk through any bazaar we can find a dazzling display of copper objects, from table tops and trays to lamps and wall decorations, all stunningly engraved.

Metallic engraving has a long history in Egypt from the Pharaonic times and it continues to be handmade here in the Red Sea today!

Did you know?

Copper was the most common metal for everyday use in ancient Egypt!

The oldest Egyptian copper artefacts, including beads and small tools, date to the early 4th millennium BC

Ancient Egypt only expanded into the Sinai to get to the copper found in the mountains!

Copper was used as currency- most everyday items like bread and beer were valued by their weight in copper!

Nowadays we can find almost anything produced in copper, using modern techniques but still manufactured by hand.

Techniques

The craftsmen use oxidizing and inlaying techniques to produce many golden colours, from deep red to sunshine yellow

Metals can be coloured by heating, oxidizing or by using glass or oil colours, but the best technique of colouring copper is inlaying, which is also the most expensive! Red copper thread is used to achieve a red-brownish colour, silver thread is used for white-silver, and oxidized copper thread is used for black.

What is inlaying? As the name suggests, thin strips of coloured brass are hammered into the brass sheet to create stunning designs. An inlaid piece can be polished and cleaned forever without losing any of its shiny colours. Inlaying takes a lot more time to design and create- that’s why it’s generally a bit more expensive!

What is oxidizing? Well, it’s the most common technique of colouring copper or brass, especially in pictures produced on plates. The basic chemicals used in the oxidizing process include cupric nitrate, cobalt nitrate, potash sulfurated, copper sulfate and potassium sulfide. The artist paints these chemicals onto the surface of the brass and the chemical reaction results in a change of colour; Each one producing its own subtle shade. One of the problems with oxidizing is that the colours are not as long lasting as inlaying.

Which technique has been used for our Red Sea souvenir?

Here are a couple of tips:

The inlaid technique looks very shiny, very clean and very well finished, but on some of the oxidized objects one can see the edges of the colours have run onto each other. If the piece has been in the shop for a while and the colours look a bit faded, then it has been oxidized!

The intricate patterns are made by skilled craftsmen who train as apprentices in the alley ways of Khan el Khalili in Cairo then set up their own workshops from The North Coast to here in the Red Sea. The design is first etched onto the sheet of brass, and then the craftsman uses engraving tools to create the finished product, one slip ruins a piece so steady hands are needed!

Prices range from 80 to over 1000 Egyptian Pounds depending on the design and the method used, so there is an item to suit all pockets! So if you’re looking for something to take home with you that showcases the history and beauty of Egypt and your holiday in the Red Sea, why not take a closer look at the blazing coppers in souks around the Red Sea?