An obelisk is a tall, slender, four-sided pillar that tapers towards the top and ends in a small pyramid. The form originated in ancient Egypt, where monumental obelisks carved from single blocks of granite were raised in pairs at temple entrances and dedicated to the sun god, often inscribed with hieroglyphs honouring the pharaohs.
The Romans transported several Egyptian obelisks to Rome, and their re-erection by the popes from the sixteenth century onwards made the form a familiar part of European classical vocabulary. In Britain, obelisks became popular as landscape eyecatchers, memorials and gate piers in the eighteenth century, and interest was renewed by Napoleon's Egyptian campaign of 1798 and later by the arrival of Cleopatra's Needle on the Thames Embankment in 1878. Miniature obelisks in marble, hardstone, bronze, crystal and rock crystal were made as Grand Tour souvenirs and desk ornaments, often in pairs for chimneypieces and libraries. Collectors look for good proportions, fine-quality stone with crisp edges, original bases and, in garden examples, a pleasing weathered surface. Pairs command a premium. Obelisks continue to be used by designers to add vertical emphasis and classical formality to tablescapes, bookshelves, parterres and garden vistas.
