Indeed, as Jack had said, many of the things in the Khan el-Khalili market were made in China, but they could never be bought in China. It was probably because there was no market.
The shop window displayed a series of plaster statues or plaster reliefs, such as Ramses II, Tutankhamun, Akhenaten, Nefertiti, and other famous ancient Egyptian pharaohs and queens were all included.
Of course, it would be difficult to convince people that there was no face of Cleopatra VII. After all, her popularity was not inferior to any of the above.
In fact, there were several plaster statues of her, all placed in eye-catching positions in the window.
"Habibi, may I ask what you need?"
The stout shopkeeper with a moustache greeted them with a smile. His eyes paused on Zhang Zian's hair color for a moment, then he stared at Fina's hair with slight surprise.
Habibi meant dear friend. Although his tone was warm, he might stab his friend in the price.
Gao Ke and the others, who were walking in front, found that Zhang Zian had fallen behind and returned to check the situation.
Jack said to the shopkeeper, "We want to see your goods."
"Welcome, welcome! The goods in this shop are good and cheap. It's perfect to buy as a souvenir. " The shopkeeper made a "please" gesture and welcomed them in. "May I ask where distinguished guests are from?"
"My friends are from China," Jack said.
"China!" The shopkeeper's eyes widened. "There are very few customers from China who come to this shop. It really brings light to my humble shop!"
This was true. There were not many people from China traveling to Egypt. Although many people would buy some souvenirs, basically no one would buy these plaster statues of ancient foreign leaders. Most Chinese people were not interested in such things as plaster statues, and it was very strange to buy them and put them at home. The most suitable place to put them should be in art classrooms or in European castles.
Zhang Zian was a layman. If it were him, he would not take the initiative to walk into such a shop. The style was too elegant.
"The goods in this shop are all handmade, and the quality is impeccable. Please feel free to choose." The shopkeeper was full of confidence. He then raised his hand to block He He's phone and said with a smile, "This shop refuses to take photos. Please put down your phone."
"Why? It's not like it's something rare! "He He was not happy that she had been given the cold shoulder.
Jack did not translate her words, but explained it to her on her behalf. Since they were in Egypt, they had to abide by Egypt's rules. Many places in Egypt did not allow photography. A while ago, a foreign tourist did not listen to the dissuasion and took photos at will. He was locked up in the police station for a month.
"Humph! Boring! " He He put down her phone in a huff, pulled Gao Ke, and said, "Brother Gao, let's go to other shops."
Gao Ke and the others were not interested in this shop because they did not know any of these plaster statues. The aesthetic standards of ancient people were completely different from those of modern people. There were neither handsome men nor beautiful women in these plaster statues. They lost interest after a few glances at them. They were not even as good as the plastic figurines in the otaku circle. At least they would show their underwear as a benefit.
But it wasn't good to just leave Zhang Zian like that. It would make the team seem too disunited, and it would be a joke to outsiders. So Gao Ke whispered a few words of persuasion, and He He finally stopped making a fuss about leaving.
When they quieted down, Zhang Zian pointed to the display cabinet and asked, "Are there only these plaster statues of Cleopatra VII?"
Jack translated his words to him.
The shop owner was surprised, but he did not show it. He smiled and said, "The customer's eyes are also very good. These are the plaster statues of Cleopatra VII. I don't know which one you like."
"What? These are Cleopatra? "
Gao Ke and Xiao Tianyu listened and immediately became interested. After all, Cleopatra's beauty was well-known, and they wanted to know what this famous beauty in history looked like.
Not only them, but He He, who had just made a fuss about leaving, was also very curious. Out of the psychology of comparison, she also wanted to see how beautiful Cleopatra was to be able to charm all living things.
In the window, a row of plaster artworks lay quietly on the red velvet fabric, looking elegant and exquisite against the soft light.
The first one was not strictly a head or bust, but a relief made on plasterboard. The theme of the relief was a woman wearing a towering feather crown, holding an unknown cup-shaped object in her hand, and a little boy next to her. The woman was shown in profile. Her facial lines were smooth, and her face was full, but that was all. There were no distinct personal characteristics. If this was Cleopatra, then the little boy next to her must be her son with Caesar — Caesarion.
"What! I can't see what she looks like at all! "He He said what everyone was thinking.
The shop owner smiled and explained, "This is a mural taken from the Temple of Dendera. The theme is the scene of Cleopatra VII sacrificing to the goddess of cows, Hathor. So this relief represents the connection between the goddess and the goddess, and it has a lot of meaning."
But Gao Ke and the others did not care about the meaning at all. They just wanted to know what Cleopatra VII looked like, so they continued to look.
The second was a full-body plaster statue. A woman was naked, holding a scepter and looking majestically into the distance. In the middle of the crown on her head, three fierce cobras stood side by side. Although the woman's face was three-dimensional, the soft features of a woman's face had basically been erased, and she looked very fierce. This was not so much a woman as a deified ruler, used to deter the enemy.
Xiao Tianyu lamented, "If this is my wife, I may become frigid."
Gao Ke teased, "Frigid is still mild. If this is really your wife, I guess you will be in sage mode forever!"
Zhang Zian was worried that Fina would be angry at their joke, so he quickly looked at Fina, but strangely, it was not angry. It did not even pay too much attention to the full-body statue.
The third was a plaster relief. On the circular plaster board was the profile of a woman with her hair in a bun. Compared with the first two, this woman was more like a human than a god. She had a high nose, deep eyes, and a slightly protruding chin. She had typical European features, and was also in line with Cleopatra VII's identity as a Greek. But the problem was … this face was really not good-looking, and it made people suspicious. Was this the original appearance of Cleopatra?
"So ugly! This is Cleopatra? I'm so disappointed! "He He couldn't help but complain." Was the aesthetic of the ancient people so weird? "
Gao Ke and Xiao Tianyu could not hide their disappointment.
Fina's eyes were frosty, showing an unbearable anger.
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