Whenever I told any Egyptian about my doctoral research topic, the two most common reactions were either laughter or disgust—which is really more than what any doctoral student could hope for, and definitely much better than a silent nod, generic ‘interesting’, or at worst having no clue as to what I’m referring to. The familiarity with gilded salons, which are so culturally prevalent in Egypt, brings back intimate memories to the minds of Egyptians and makes it a topic that hits home, literally. They laugh because they think it is ridiculous—it is sort of a millennial generational joke by now—or because they did not expect such an answer when asking about my very-important academic research. Domestic salons seem to be the material of satirical comedy sketches, especially if the topic is marriage, not a serious academic study (see, for instance, the comedy television serial ‘Ayza Atgawez, 2010 based on the 2008 novel by Ghada Abdel-‘al).

Others (myself included) are fascinated by the topic because it embodies many contradictions. It is seemingly irrelevant and apolitical, yet people’s reactions attest to its relevance and politics. They have grown up with it: it was always there, where they can glimpse it glimmering in a dark room in their own homes or in their relatives’ homes, but it also might as well not be there since it was rarely used. They love it and hate it. They think it is uncomfortable and yet comfortable (only aesthetically, probably). Most intellectuals and artists said they would never think about buying such furniture—and were sometimes critical of those who did—but they are interested in protecting its industry and improving the working conditions of the craftsmen who manufacture and carve it. It looks European, perhaps Ottoman, and yet very local. Popularly handmade by Egyptian craftsmen in the port city of Domyat (Damietta) since the 1920s, the style of Egyptian salon furniture today is a contemporary translation of eighteenth-century French Louis design, thus complicating what may seem to some, at first glance, imported European furniture.