Ancient Egyptian Floral Design (2800-28 BC)

Shown above, blue water lilies were a popular choice among Ancient Egyptians that can be found in many of our floral arrangements today. These flowers were vibrant an easily found locally in the Nile Valley, making them a popular choice for Ancient Egyptian floral design.

The way that we use floral design today has evolved greatly throughout history, though the origins remain much the same. Much like our own culture today, Ancient Egyptians used flowers ceremoniously. Floral arrangements were displayed as gifts and decoration, as well as used during religious ceremonies and festivals. Flowers were also used as personal adornment and could be found woven in women’s hair.

Through research and history, we can determine some of the patterns in floral design that have evolved from Ancient Egypt. Tracing as far back as 2500 BC, historians have found evidence of flower arrangements taking affect on daily life through evidence of paintings, bowls, and vases. Faience, or glazed ceramic ware/pottery, made during Egyptian times give us clues that depict some of the colors, patterns, and arrangements that Ancient Egypt favored. Many Ancient Egyptian bowls and vases were wide mouthed and tall to accommodate flowers, such as the lotus, with fragile stems.

While we have many colors and styles that we use in our arrangements today, Ancient Egyptians preferred more vibrant primary colors, such as red, yellow, and blue. They often chose their arrangements from floral and plant materials that flourished throughout the Nile Valley, which was easily accessible to them. Floral arrangements were very straightforward and simplistic designs that could be used in a variety of different ways.

Of the many flowers to choose from, Egyptians chose lily, iris, rose, gladiolus, and narcissus for many of their arrangements. The sacred Lotus flower also made a repetitious appearance in Ancient Egyptian floral design due to its relation to Isis, the Egyptian goddess that helped individuals travel into the afterlife safely. Plants could also be found combined with many of these floral designs—some of the more popular choices were ivy, papyrus, and palm leaves.

While it’s challenging to determine exactly how many of our floral arrangements today mirror Ancient Egyptian culture, it’s not difficult to see how it has influenced our own arrangements over the years. Our occasions for floral arrangements remain much the same, though some of our floral selections over the years have changed to include more diversity.

Egyptian tomb wall-painting, circa 1826