Meet The Maker: ANŪT Cairo

Imagine sipping hibiscus tea while cruising the Nile on a dahabiya boat, palatial temples rising from the emerald green riverbanks behind you. That atmosphere – sun-warmed, storied, and transportive – is what ANŪT Cairo seeks to capture.

Founded in 2024 by Goya Gallagher, the artisan-crafted home brand takes its name from Nut, the Egyptian Goddess of the sky. As noted in the New York Times, the team decided on the goddess "because of their commitment to hiring and training women artisans” – a value woven into the foundation of the company itself.

London-born Gallagher has lived in Egypt for decades. In the 90s, she co-founded the magazine Pose, immersed in a creative community that shaped her ethos around handmade work. As she shared in an interview with the Dubai-based publication Khamasa, she believes the handmade object holds the power to carry forth the stories of past generations while remaining a vessel for the maker’s own expression.

“In a world that seems to be in a race toward efficiency, the act of individually crafting something by hand feels almost heroic.”

Fayoum potter Sara, who at just 20 years old established her own pottery workshop. With the money she's earned through her craft, Sara has re-enrolled in school to continue pursuing her education.

ANŪT Cairo features a lifestyle collection of glassware, ceramics, and embroidered textiles created using techniques that are – quite literally – ancient. In an era defined by speed and AI-automation, where it's increasingly hard to know what's real, ANŪT’s commitment to slow, handmade production is something of a revelation.

Each ceramic object begins as a lump of ochre mud of the Fayoum Valley, located 60 miles outside Cairo where a world-famous ceramic tradition continues to thrive. Craftsmen press and coax their pieces into form without molds or machinery; the pace is unhurried. Hands shape platters and tagines, and paint them with peacocks, palm trees, and village scenes passed down through generations. The result is tactile and alive one can feel how human touch never left the process.

Potters of the Fayoum Valley, Hani (left) and Mohammed (right), pose with their designs for ANŪT. Both artists have been long time collaborators with ANŪT, having formerly trained with the renowned Swiss potter Evelyne Porret, who founded her eponymous pottery school in the village in the 1980s.

Gallagher’s passion for supporting local artists extends beyond ceramics to the ANŪT Embroidery School, where 100 women are trained in traditional Egyptian needlework every year. Embroidery has a long tradition in Egypt, with designs that often tell a story. Think celestial scenes like on this eye mask, or full-on elaborate visual narratives as seen in the brand’s collaboration with Khayameya artist, Mohamed Abdelwahab. Khayameya is a traditional Egyptian form of decorative appliqué textile. Historically used for decorating tent interiors, ANŪT playfully brings this durable, colorful fabric, featuring intricate geometric patterns, floral motifs, and Islamic calligraphy, to the home. Their textiles – whether a sleep mask, pouch, or decorative cloth – aren’t just beautiful; they’re meant to be part of your life, folded into morning routines, packed for travel, or simply displayed to bring color and story into your everyday moments.

Women artisans training at the ANŪT Embroidery School in the intricate craft of Egyptian needlework. This initiative has transformed the lives of many Egyptian women, as graduates leave with the opportunity to utilize their skills to generate additional sustainable income for their themselves and their families.

It’s easy to imagine ANŪT’s ceramic and glassware pieces in the same way: a platter that doubles as the centerpiece for morning coffee, a tagine that elevates weeknight dinners, or glassware that turns casual drinks into a small ceremony. For us, this particular platter is perfectly stacked with baklava and kunafa.

Gallagher herself favors the baklava from the Abdel Rahim Koueider shop in Cairo, with its generous nuts and a dollop of pistachio ice cream on the side. For those stateside, Levant in New York offers a comparable treat (we suggest the Lotus Biscoff Baklava for a sweet indulgence).

Bringing us back to the Nile, ANŪT is planning a creative residency aboard the Nanusa, a boat that Gallagher restored. Once a restaurant, the vessel has been transformed with pastel-hued interiors, contemporary rattan, colorful cushions, and whimsical khayamiyas. Artists will be invited to retrace ancient river routes, drawing inspiration from the same landscapes and stories that quietly ripple through every ANŪT Cairo piece. It’s a space where tradition meets imagination, and where the textures, colors, and rhythms of Egypt come to life in new work.

We hope you love ANŪT as much as we do. And if we had to pick, like forced to pick our favorite pieces, Luigi really likes the Manial Peacock Tagine because it has that effortless wow factor: "the hand-painted peacock design feels super elevated," he told us. "But it’s still the kind of piece I’d actually use when I want the table to look amazing." Emilie votes for the Stellar Pouch because the delicate hand-printing and intricate embroidery make it feel like less an accessory and more like a tiny work of art.

Enjoy,

Team fête