First, the caricature.
My friends know that I love Egypt. Not the bundle of confusion that it is today, but the Egypt that existed in its glorious past – the Ancient Egypt. Blinded by this love, a few years ago, I purchased a book called “The Tutankhamun Affair.” It is written by Christian Jacq, an author noted for the fiction and non-fiction works on Egypt. My friends also know that I have a marked preference for fiction. When I picked up the book around a decade ago, I had no idea that the guy wrote non-fiction too…and that I was buying a somewhat boring biographical account of Howard Carter’s quest for Tutankhamun’s tomb.
I brought the book home and settled down for a thrilling ride that I hoped would take me through both ancient and modern Egypt. As I started turning its pages, I realized that there were easier ways to die than reading The Tutankhamun Affair, and as dying wasn’t on my to-do list, I pushed the book the farthest I could inside my boring-books book-rack.
A month ago, one of my archaeological expeditions yielded The Tutankhamun Affair – a book I hadn’t read. So I gave it another shot.
Oddly, I didn’t find it as boring this time as I did earlier. Either my own boredom-resistance quotient has gone up, or I’ve learned a few things in the last 10 years – things that now enable me to relate to the tribulations of poor Mr. Carter.
I know that the yarn is growing longer – before you get tangled up and are thrown off-balance and off my blog, I’ll let the story of this imaginary caricature of Mr. Theodore Davis out of the bag.
Mr. Davis appears on page 124 of the soft-cover edition.
“Of average height, Theodore Davis gave an impression of weakness.He did not move without a stick, hid his throat with a white scarf and covered his head with a wide-brimmed hat. His Jodhpurs and puttees made him look like a rider without his horse. A thick moustache spread like the wings of a bird covering the lower part of his face. His gaze was aggressive behind the round lenses of his tiny spectacles.” – Chapter 28, The Tutankhamun Affair by Christian Jacq
I removed his Jodhpurs and puttees and gave him a sensible pair of trousers. (Jodhpurs and puttees are both Indian terms – puttees: bandages.)
That description painted a picture for me and I laughed. So I drew that picture for you, hoping that it would make you laugh too 🙂 I hope it does.
As with all your work, so clever and evocative, I have made a note to read this book, fellow Egytophile:)
It’s interesting…though it moves at a pace that belongs to the beginning of the twentieth century – but then who wants to see Egypt in a hurry.
Great…and it is fun an funny.
Thank you, Margo 🙂
Very much amusing. You presented Theodore just like what he should look like according to the descriptions. Fantastic drawing!
An aggressive look with big mustaches on an emaciated body…the description just forced me to draw him 🙂 Thanks Mr. Venkatachari.
Haha, you did a fabulous job of drawing him! I can see the exact same thing from reading the paragraph to looking at your interpretation. 🙂
Thank Lydia. I guess I shouldn’t have exchanged his jodhpurs for a pair of trousers…but what’s done is done 🙂
Nah, I think he looks great just how you have him! 🙂
Love it! And I want to read that book now, too.
I am sure, you’ll love it Your Gibship! Did you know that the first mummy that Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter unearthed together was that of a royal Egyptian cat?
No! There’s a message there.
Yes. All cats are royal.
Love it!
Thanks Robyn 🙂