When he became 5th Earl of Carnarvon in 1890, George Herbert (1866–1923) faced problems similar to those of the fictitious Earl of Grantham in Downton Abbey: mounting debts and an expensive estate to maintain. Like the earl, he solved his problem by marrying an heiress, Almina Wombwell (1876–1969).

When a serious car accident in 1901 permanently compromised his health, George Herbert sought Egypt’s warmer climate for relief. He and Almina became interested in the work of Howard Carter (1874–1939) and other archaeologists working on excavations in the Valley of the Kings, and Almina’s fortune helped fund Carter’s work. George Herbert was standing next to Carter in 1922 after a workman found the steps leading to Tutankhamun’s tomb; George Herbert asked him, “Can you see anything?” Carter’s famous reply: “Yes, wonderful things.”

“Egyptomania” swept North America and Europe. Egyptian designs and motifs were incorporated into fashion, furnishings, and accessories, especially women’s dress.

At Highclere Castle, as a memorial to his great-grandfather, the present earl created an exhibit of Egyptian artifacts, more than 300 of which had lain hidden in concealed cupboards when the rest of the collection was sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1926. Highclere Castle remains inextricably linked to ancient Egypt.

The Lotus Blossom Scarf contains motifs that became popular as a result of Egyptomania: the undulating columns that form the ribbed portion of the scarf and the lotus blossom design in the lace at each end of the scarf. The scarf is designed to be worn folded in half with the lace ends pulled through and showing under the fold, to emulate the wide collars and deep necklines popular in 1920s fashion.