Description and research notes
Finely printed 1901 Art Nouveau letterhead invoice from Philibin & Vve. Barrot, a prominent Cairo hardware and ironmongery firm operating near the Central Post Office district. The bilingual French–Arabic masthead features ornamental flourishes, a wide decorative border, and period typography characteristic of turn-of-the-century commercial printing in Egypt.
The invoice lists hardware items supplied to a municipal department, written in both French and Arabic accounting styles, and signed by the firm’s representative. Printed by A. Mourès & Cie of Alexandria—one of Egypt’s most accomplished commercial lithographers—the sheet represents some of the highest-quality commercial printing of the Khedivial era.
Surviving early 1900s Cairo merchant invoices of this calibre are uncommon, particularly those preserved with clean borders, full descriptions, and no filing losses. This example reflects the cosmopolitan commercial environment of pre-Protectorate Cairo and stands as an important artifact of Egyptian Art Nouveau commercial aesthetics.