Antiques - Art - Ceramics - Murals - Paint

Dec. 12 The kitchen of a terrace house in North Devon has, in three months, been turned into an ancient Egyptian temple. It is the work of Mr. Hugh Hamilton McGoverne, former reader in English Literature at the University of Prague, who for the past 10 years has lived at 4, Elm Terrace, Instow. The temple, accurate to the finest detail, is believed to be the only reproduction of such a temple in the country and has been highly praised by leading Egyptologists. Formerly a 9ft x 9ft stone floored kitchen, it principally honours the god Min-Ra, one of the most ancient of Egyptian gods, dating back to beyond 3, 600 B.C. It also honours five other major gods and one goddess. Included are many small figures and models of animals and reptiles, representing, symbolically other deities. In all, 47 gods are depicted. Great care has been taken in the life-size wall paintings and hieroglyphics, all in oils. Authentic temple, tomb and sactuary sanctuary pantings have been scrupulously followed. Both entrance and exit are guarde by snake goddesses. Mr. McGoverne worked for a total of 700 hours to complete the temple. His interest in ancient Egypt began at the age of seven when his mother read him a novel called The lady of the Pyramids'. Later he began to study the subject more seriously, being greatly helped by books by Sir S.A. Wallis Budge, former keeper of the Egyptian and Assyrian antiquities at the British Museum. He studied hieroglyphics for Paul Hamlyn's Egyptian Mythology'. Mr. McGoverne fears that when he dies, whoever takes over the house may be given the eebie jeebies by the temple, which certainly commands an eerie atmosphere, and destroy it. So he plans to donate it either to Bideford Town Council, for preservation, of to the college at Oxford where in 1944 he attained his M.A. degree. Photo shows Mr. Hugh Hamilton McGoverne pictured in his Ancient Egyptian Temple Kitchen

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