Papyrus art is a major attraction to scholars and tourists, and contributes significantly to the Egyptian tourism industry, while papyrus and related species is locally used in making mats, baskets, curtain and blinds.
Dr Abe V Rotor
Museum guide at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, demonstrates to the author and other guests how fresh papyrus stalk is cut and split, then laid crosswise, one layer on top of another, and pressed with a mechanical presser (background, second photo). The mat is dried and pounded to attain evenness and smoothness. Now it is ready for use as writing and drawing material. Papyrus is the first paper, hence the name).
Museum guide explains to the author hieroglyphic writings on pypayrus.
Papyrus drawings and paintings depict the rich history of ancient Egypt, the oldest civilization in the western world. Hieroglyphics (picture story) on papyrus, like Chinese calligraphy (language signs), make an art distinct and unique from all the arts in the world. Papyrus art is a major attraction to scholars and tourists, and contributes significantly to the Egyptian tourism industry.
Author with family at the UP Diliman Sunken Garden. Papyrus is highly adapted in humid tropical countries like the Philippines. The conditions are similar to those along the Nile River. The local industry developed from papyrus and related species is the making of mats, baskets, curtain and blinds.
Cyperus papyrus belongs to the sedge family, Cyperaceae, to which our own tikiw (cattail) and barsaga (Cyperus rotundos), a persistent weed on the farm, belong. It is a native of southern Europe, Syria and Africa. Egyptian manuscripts and paintings were done on paper made from this plant as early as 2400 BC. A cheap imitation is made from banana stalk.
A clump of papyrus Photos of the plant were taken at UP Sunken Garden,
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