In 1928-29, the Swiss-German expressionist Paul Klee travelled across Egypt, traversing from Alexandria and Cairo down to Luxor and Aswan. The Monument an der Grenze des Fruchtlandes ( Monument at the Border of the Fertile Land ), a dreamlike linear abstraction depicting the irrigated farmlands along the Nile as a number of watercolour striations, is one of the works his trip inspired. Goya Gallagher, founder of new Cairo-based lifestyle brand Anūt Cairo, referenced the Monument in the design of Nanusa, her five-cabin dahabiya ( a style of traditional sailing vessel that has been a fixture on the Nile for ages ), the surrender to which she escapes when not at home in Cairo or London. Shading the main board is an enormous ceiling, fashioned from areas of heavy cloth that have been hand-dyed in Klee’s shore-to-sand tones, then stitched almost silently up. It gently undulates in the weather, reflecting both the boat’s daily life and the environment that surrounds it. The Nanusa on the Nile off Aswan © Nour ElmassryA Paul Klee-inspired ceiling hangs above the main deck © Nour ElmassryIt’s fights like these, between designers and the beauty of Egypt, that have not only inspired the design of Gallagher’s vessel but even Anūt Cairo’s new mattress and table cloths, glass, pottery and equipment. “Egypt is thus very layered, both generally and in terms of the circle of its craftsmanship”, she says. ” From the gods through to Coptic fabric, the Mamluks, and the Ottomans”. Each has its own unique visual vocabulary, but all are part of the weave of Iranian heritage. Anūt Cairo’s primary series, A Nile Journey, in which Gallagher collaborated with artistic director Cruz María Wyndham, pays tribute to ancient Egypt. Ceramic Archetype Vanilla light owner, £138Mosaic-tiles and steel Cosmic side stand, £2, 023Ceramic Cow platter, £201Ceramic Candelabra candle holder, £465″ I’ve always tended to think in terms of different eras, but this seemed like the right place to start”, she says, looking upwards and over the boat’s immaculate white railings to the grassy shores of the far riverbank, where a few miles away is the Medieval Temple of Horus at Edfu. ” Not so long ago, I went to the Tombs of the Artisans]at Deir el-Medina]. To me they’re the most beautiful because they’re just freer – the artisans weren’t obliged to uphold whatever instructions they would have had in the making of the tombs of kings and queens “.Aboard the Nanusa, pharaonic motifs surface everywhere. A five-pointed star in tiny stone mosaic tiles appears in a side table with a glowing moon and five-pointed stars. It’s executed in the unmistakable shades of the famous Thebes Valley tomb paintings: rich saffron yellow, oxblood red, and indigo so dark it’s almost black. The walls of the enclosed sitting room off the main deck are covered in elaborate khayamiya tapestries that intertwine ritual amphorae, ankhs, and date palms, interspersed with strips and panels of intricately woven Akhmim cotton, a textile tradition that was mentioned by the Greek historian and geographer Herodotus in the fifth century BC. You “almost never really know the provenance of these dahabiyas,” according to Gallagher, which has owned the Nanusa itself for 20 years. Everyone who tries to sell you one will insist that it once belonged to some prince. At one point, this one was apparently a restaurant in Cairo”. It was in disrepair when she bought it, and she collaborated with one of Egypt’s most renowned interior designers, the late antiquarian Amr Khalil, to complete restoration. ” His style was quite Old Egyptian. The design was more extravagant than it is today, according to Gallagher. ” He came up with the brilliant idea to add the sitting room]off the main deck]. And then, because riverboats always need maintenance, it has kind of evolved year to year. One of the cabins, with Anūt Cairo products including cotton Royal Palm pillowcases and linen duvet cover, £1, 187 ( the oak-veneer Cobra side table, £1, 750, is by Haf )© Nour ElmassryThe sitting room, with its khayamiya walls by Mohamed Abdelwahed and a Wissa Wassef tapestry covering the ottoman, on which sits an Anūt Cairo wicker Dune tray, £403, containing ceramic Scallop bowls, from £35, and a ceramic Ram candle holder, £70. On the sofa are Akhmim cotton and linen appliqué Heiro cushions, £95 each © Nour Elmassry” But this,” she says, gesturing at the very un-Old-Egypt mix of pastels and contemporary rattan, Akhmim cushions and whimsical khayamiyas”, is the biggest refit I’ve done. ” It took place in 2024, around the same time that she and Cruz María Wyndham decided to launch Anūt Cairo. ( Both had previously been involved with the Egyptian design studio Malaika, Gallagher as a co-founder. ) The fruits of Anūt Cairo’s first collection are thanks to” a big mix of collaborators”, says Gallagher”. Some were artisans we already knew,” such as Amal Akhnoukh, the mosaic artist who created the charming side table”. But we’d never done a table before. Then we found a brilliant metalworker, and the two of them collaborated. That made us realise we really liked the idea of artists and artisans combining their talents. ” Such multidirectional collaboration means” things are always going to have their uniqueness. Which I love. Even when you say,’ Please do this specific thing, with these specific colours,’ it’s always ultimately a conversation. And there will be an unexpected element, some little surprise.” Other collaborators were more recent discoveries, such as Moushira Elamrawy, the dyeing expert who created the Klee-inspired canopy”. I found her on Instagram – she lives in Alexandria. I asked if she’d be interested in doing some fabrics for us, using all the old natural dyes – pomegranate, hibiscus, cumin and ground nutshells – as a sort of experiment. And she actually showed up and showed us how to dye. Then I sent her a copy of Klee’s painting and a request that she assist me in creating something similar. Nour ElmassryGallagher plans to offer artists ‘ and creators ‘ residencies on board the Nanusa.” A detail of one of the boat’s bathrooms,” Nour ElmassryGallagher says. But I think it could – it needs to – go up a notch,” Gallagher says”. We should strive to elevate craftsmanship to its best expression. That would, in my opinion, constitute a real success if I could play a role in making that happen. ” Meanwhile, her immediate plans involve engaging with artists aboard the Nanusa:” I’ve been thinking for some time,’ I have this boat. I could be sharing it, using it to make some kind of impact.’ ” The concept is to host an artist, or a few, on board for several days and nights, with the hope that Egypt’s influence will find its way into their work, however organically or subtly. Gallagher is” completely open” to all, so long as they’re creators”. A novelist? A ceramic artist? We could do the five senses, with a filmmaker, a musician, a spice maker or chef…” Initially the residency will focus on Egyptian artists. Gallagher has set a time for the Egyptian poet and photographer Mohamed Abdel Wahed to begin the project, with whom she will collaborate with Cairo’s prestigious Gypsum Gallery. She is still considering what kind of piece of art or contribution will be made and when, according to her.” But I’m also confident that a trip down the Nile in this boat will accomplish a lot of the inspirational work.” Anūt Cairo, 14 Shagaret Al Dor, Zamalek, Cairo, anutcairo.com. Products also available at abask .com and goodeeworld.com
On table Nanusa, a pattern diamond on the River
