A touch of glass

Reham El-Adawi tours an exhibition paying homage to glass and ceramics in Saqqara
A modest iron gate with a blue glass plaque announces the El-Khanani Glass Art Museum in Saqqara. Who would imagine that such a modest provincial building could house such a remarkable collection of glass? The museum, soon to be brought under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture, is fast becoming a lively stop among the numerous attractions situated on the Saqqara Road, which extends from Giza and runs alongside the Mariotiya Canal.
For travellers who press on beyond Giza, frequent stops include Al-Haraniya village, well known for its tapestries; the Habib Georgie Museum, which specialises in batik printing on textiles; and Nabil Darwish's Museum, which offers a collection of ceramics. Well-known rustic-style restaurants abound in this area, Al-Dar, Andrea and Ish Saqqara (Saqqara Nest), to name a few.
The Glass Art Museum is a worthy addition to the area, but it has been long in the making. The current exhibition space can be traced back to the 1970s, when the late Major General Zakariya El- Khanani, an engineer, and his wife, Aida Abdel- Kerim, the first female sculptor in Egypt, decided to create a space dedicated to their love of glass and art. Although an army man, El-Khanani was fascinated by art, particularly antiquities. His father, an archaeological inspector, had brought the young El-Khanani along while visiting temples and cemeteries.
When El-Khanani graduated from the Faculty of Engineering in 1942, he started studying glass manufacturing at the American University in Cairo. Abdel-Kerim, who studied sculpture at the Supreme Institute of Fine Arts, went on to produce her book, Egyptian Contemporary Art, which covers ceramic jewellery. The couple's shared passion for glass led them to set about reviving the ancient method of glass manufacture, first used by the ancient Egyptians.
From 1970 until the death of El-Khanani last year, the couple supplemented and expanded their atelier, which was attached to a small house. Eventually, this workshop developed into something of a glass centre, where the couple developed different methods of sculpting glass. In his pursuit of new designs, El-Khanani took advantage of air bubbles that appear in the glass -- considered a defect by glass manufacturers -- and brilliantly manipulated them to enhance the objects he produced. Budding artists were encouraged to experiment with El-Khanani's unique technique of forming and colouring stained-glass, inspired by the ancient Egyptian method.
"Not surprisingly, it was the ancient Egyptians who first melted and moulded glass," remarks Abdel-Kerim proudly. "Glass manufacturing flourished, especially during the Roman period, where various forms developed." she explained. Originally, glass was always moulded into shape, but in the first century B.C., the technique of glass-blowing was developed.
There have already been glass exhibitions abroad: in Italy, Germany, Spain, the United States and, in 1979, an "Art and Life" exhibition in Vienna. But it wasn't until 1998 when the idea of turning the house-cum-atelier into a museum to preserve and celebrate glass techniques finally crossed El- Khanani's mind. In 1999, the building was renovated and masterpieces and memorabilia were arranged and displayed, all within a remarkably moderate budget of around LE300,000. The following year, shortly after El-Khanani's death, Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni officially inaugurated the museum.
The new, two-storied structure is an exercise in subtlety, with artworks arranged and lit to highlight their luminous qualities and accentuate the working of the glass. The ground floor displays glassware produced by both El-Khanani and Abdel-Kerim, including brightly-coloured bowls, plates, statues and masks. The display is divided by a remarkable stained-glass partition depicting marine life.
Different works are scattered among the trees and shrubs of the garden, allowing visitors a quiet repose on one of the mastabas (benches) or perhaps a bamboo chair surrounded by palm trees. Though the place is officially a museum, Abdel- Kerim still lives there, and the place's history as the residence and workplace of two artists is evident. El-Khanani's glassworks are located in one of two halls on the second floor; while the other hall is devoted to Abdel-Kerim's ceramic works and a collection of jewellery made from Egyptian paste or faience. "Various materials, like gypsum, granite and polyester are used in sculpture, but clay and glass are dearest to me," notes Abdel- Kerim.
Deliberations with Minister Hosni to tie the museum to the ministry, "were very smooth," says Abdel-Kerim. "He welcomed the idea, and I didn't face any obstacles. I had only two conditions, to which he agreed: to direct the museum and to continue dwelling here," she said.
Abdel-Kerim says that the Giza governorate is replanning Saqqara Road to facilitate parking near the museum and add the appropriate street signs.
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