The Souvenir of Egypt is a decorative silk on which a variety of images are depicted, including texts, flags, portraits and a landscape scene. The silk, which is collected in the Travelers in the Middle East Archive (TIMEA), reveals very little about itself directly. No date appears anywhere on the silk, nor does any information about who produced it or where it was made. Around the edges are six portraits of men in military or professional dress, but no names appear. The silk includes seven unidentified flags, six of which seem to be aligned with the portraits, since the flags are adjacent to or partially underneath them. At the center are three pyramids, their images reflected in a body of water. Across the water are a man on a camel, a man standing under a tall tree, and a figure in the water with what appears to be a large basket. Bits of texts--in both English and what appears to be Arabic--are placed on the silk. In the lower right is what appears to be the title of the silk, which is in large cursive letters: "Souvenir of Egypt." A complex visual argument seems to be made in this souvenir, but we need to know more about the different references it is making before attempting to interpret it. How are we to understand this mysterious artifact? What does it depict, when was it made, for whom, and why? In this module we will explore how to categorize, identify, and historically locate the Souvenir of Egypt. The variety of flags and faces, and the apparent diversity of their national origins, make the silk particularly interesting from a historical standpoint. The near complete lack of names or dates presents a perfect opportunity to explore the resources and methods used by historians to research this kind of artifact.
The silk is one of many artifacts and texts that have been digitized and published online by the TIMEA project (http://timea.rice.edu). TIMEA (Travelers In the Middle East Archive) is a digital archive of narratives documenting travel to the Middle East published between the eighteenth and early twentieth centuries, along with images and interactive GIS maps. This course contributes to the project by demonstrating how to study visual culture through a virtual research project on the Souvenir of Egypt. In this way the image of the silk in the digital archive can be used to demonstrate the practical application of certain research methods as well as to highlight the resources available to researchers.
This course will document a series of research questions in which we will research and identify each of the images in the silk in order to gain an understanding of their meanings independently and in relation to one another. In each section of the module we will introduce and explore different resources and research techniques. Although the modules are centered on the resources available through the Fondren Library at Rice University, the resources described are available at most academic libraries. The research techniques we use are addressed throughout the course as independent aspects of the project; that is, you can apply the resources and techniques we use just to a wide range of materials.
Below we have divided the project into categories of images found in the silk. Under each heading you will find lists of the sorts of historical questions that will come up in the project. You may select any of these to take you directly to the section in which they are addressed. Be aware, however, that the project is progressive and some of the resources and techniques are cumulative.
The Souvenir of Egypt contains four separate bodies of text, each requiring different research methods and resources. In this section we examine each of the texts for origin and meaning, accumulating resources as we go that are used both alone and together. The following list describes the questions that arise during the examination of the texts and the resources and methods we explore for each with links to the sections in which they are introduced. (Note that the links below may not take you directly to the relevant section. When you have selected a link, wait for the target page to load completely and place the cursor after the text in your browser’s address bar, then hit enter.)
How to find assistance with the translation of texts written in a language foreign to you
How to trace the origins of a quoted phrase or verse of poetry
How to locate a specific phrase in the holdings of your university library using subject searches
How to use online reference sources to define specific words in a text
There are seven flags represented in the Souvenir of Egypt. In this section we use a variety of resources to discover the origins and periods of use for each flag. Below is a list of the methods and resources we have used for each with a link to their locations in the course. The following list describes the questions that arise during the examination of the flags and the resources and methods we explore for each with links to the sections in which they are introduced.
How to locate the relevant reference material to research the identity of an unnamed flag
Which we then follow with a few examinations of some of those materials
How to identify unnamed flags using online resources
How to use the online resources and reference materials together to overcome research obstacles
A complete list of the origins and periods of use for our flags
The Souvenir of Egypt contains six different faces, but no adjoining labels with which to identify them. In this section of the module we will use a variety of resources to identify the individuals represented in the six portraits. Below is a list of the methods and resources we have used with links to their locations in the module.
How to use the reference section in your university’s library
Using Regional Encyclopedias,Political Dictionaries,Regional Dictionaries , locating General Histories in your library's catalog and Using General Histories and Using Historical Dictionaries.
How to put a face to a name using online search engines
How to locate biographical information in Who's Who
or the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
What is the Cambridge University Press
Then we provide a list of the identities of every portrait along with the periods of their prominence in the regions they are associated with through the flags they are coupled with in the silk. Then we further narrow the period of our study with the application of this information.
The Souvenir of Egypt contains seven images that compose a scene in the center of the silk that we refer here as the symbols. We use a variety of resources to determine what the symbols are intended to represent. Below is a list of the methods and resources we have used along with links to their locations in the module. When you have selected a link, wait for the target page to load completely and then place the cursor after the text in your browser’s address bar, then hit enter.
What to do when you are faced with a research topic with which you have absolutely no familiarity.
Using the Reference desk at your university library
How to locate a faculty member with a background in the subject you are researching.
What is the protocol for contacting experts.
We demonstrate this protocol through an extensive exchange with a variety of experts at Rice University. Then, we then provide a breakdown of our exchange with the experts as it pertains to our research project.
How to follow a subject thread through your library's catalog.
A consideration of how we view symbols and what we might take for granted
Using particular aspects of a symbol to ascertain its possible meanings
How to locate and use reference materials that deal with the symbolic meaning of your subject.
How to identify the symbols in an image by locating and comparing similar images.
How to identify the genre of your images by looking for its recurrence as a motif.
Using the Oxford Reference Online Core in defining such terms as "orientalism"
Now that we've gathered information about the different components of the "Souvenir," we explore how to take your project to the next level and build a convincing historical narrative. We discuss the brainstorming process and look at two possible directions for a project on the "Souvenir of Egypt," one focused on material culture, one on political history.