Episode 37: Mid-Century Modern Mummy with a Twist of Tiki

Il-wey! I spend a couple of days in Palm Springs last weekend, and while I expected I might see an old postcard of Boris Karloff lounging poolside with a mid-century modern home with clean lines in the background, I was surprised to find a few references to mummies.  Where you ask?  Well, at the Shag Store of course! 

“It’s Mummy Time” caught my attention immediately as I looked at all of the framed prints hanging on the walls.  The mummy’s resemblance to Karloff’s mummy film from 1932 (Karl Freund) is readily apparent.  The mummy wears a scarab beetle ring and close at hand is his precious Scroll of Thoth, and in the background, there are columns of hieroglyphs and the pyramids. All of these items can be found in the early film, as well as a white cat.  Relaxing in a comfortable chair, there’s an ancient Egypt meets the 1950s appeal to this print.  Sadly, his lady love does not look like Zita Johann’s Princess Ankh-es-en-Amon.  

Cue the music and sing along: “They did the Mash, they did the Monster Mash…” In this serigraphy print, Shag channeled a number of popular culture monsters in “Mad, Mad, Mad Monster Party.”  Of course, the Pharaoh mummy is the life of the party, tearing up the dance floor.  He appears to be at risk of unravelling and perhaps this is a modern interpretation of an unwrapping party that were the trend amongst the upper Victorian class.  Interestingly, his mouth looks as though it might have been sown closed, which is not typical of Egyptian mummies, but the crown and collar are definitely Egyptian.  The possible nod to the epic comedy It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963, Stanley Kramer) via similar titles was a fun coincidence. 

While I did not see this one at the gallery, I did find “The Dead Pharaoh” at the Shag online store.  Printed on plywood and limited to only 200, the mummy wears a black bow-tie while lounging on a period Butterfly Chair, legs crossed with a white cat sitting on his knee. The juxtaposition of the mummy and cat – the mummy sad and forlorn while the cat looks on curiously – is reminiscent of The Mummy (1999, Stephen Sommers) where Imhotep would run in horror from the white fluffy cat.  Shag may have used the original Karloff mummy or the Hammer Film Productions’ version from 1959 (Terence Fisher).  The title of the piece refers to a pharaoh, so the bow-tie is the closest iconography to denote sophistication, elegance, superiority, and the privileged class. 

In all three, Shag utilizes colorful Tiki-inspired colors resulting in playful portrayals of mummies, and continues the longevity of the wrapped monster in popular culture.  Senebti!

Banner image from Google.