Page 232 - Features of an Era
P. 232
a’il Pasha, imperial porphyry bust, 67 x 81 cm King Fouad, bronze bust, 80 cm high
Hall of the Parliament then.
In this regard, according to the information mentioned in Al-Mussawar magazine
in 1936, the bust of Fouad is made of the imperial porphyry, brought from Gabal Abu
Dukhan which is 170 m above the Red Sea level.
It is known that the color of the famous type of this valuable stone is often the
dark red which seems like the color of Rhus plant from which its name was derived.
After looking up in the specialized sources, we have found that there is another kind
of black imperial porphyry called Porfido nero. One of the most important sources
which refer to this is the website of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History,
on which there is a description indicating that the sample displayed on is from Gabal
Abu Dukhan in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.(20)
This agrees with Al-Mussawar magazine referring to the material of the bust of
Fouad. So, the two mentioned busts are characterized by the black color due to this
kind of valuable stone out of which they were sculpted.
(20) Details of the information can be found on the official website of the museum: http://www.oum.ox.ac.
uk/corsi/stones/view/788
232
Hall of the Parliament then.
In this regard, according to the information mentioned in Al-Mussawar magazine
in 1936, the bust of Fouad is made of the imperial porphyry, brought from Gabal Abu
Dukhan which is 170 m above the Red Sea level.
It is known that the color of the famous type of this valuable stone is often the
dark red which seems like the color of Rhus plant from which its name was derived.
After looking up in the specialized sources, we have found that there is another kind
of black imperial porphyry called Porfido nero. One of the most important sources
which refer to this is the website of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History,
on which there is a description indicating that the sample displayed on is from Gabal
Abu Dukhan in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.(20)
This agrees with Al-Mussawar magazine referring to the material of the bust of
Fouad. So, the two mentioned busts are characterized by the black color due to this
kind of valuable stone out of which they were sculpted.
(20) Details of the information can be found on the official website of the museum: http://www.oum.ox.ac.
uk/corsi/stones/view/788
232
