Parc Monceau: Answer

Parc Monceau, Pyramid Folly, 1779. Park entrance on the Boulevard de Courcelles. 8th arrondissement. Metro: Monceau

Photo: Mary B. Shepard

One of the only original structures to survive in the park, this pyramid was once joined by other exotic structures including a Dutch windmill, an Islamic minaret, and an ancient-style Temple of Mars. 

Photo: Mary B. Shepard

The fad for "follies"--these miniaturizing architectural structures--began in England with the aim of condensing time and place within a picturesque garden setting. The Duke of Chartres, a cousin of King Louis XVI, was an avid fan of English-style gardens and endeavored to create a French interpretation in the years just before the French Revolution.

Photo: Mary B. Shepard

Given its geometric perfection, the Egyptian pyramid was among of the most enduring of forms. The Duke of Chartres was also the grand master of the most prominent Masonic Lodge in Paris; for Freemasons, the triangle embodies sacred geometry and represents the Great Architect of the Universe. Thus, the inclusion of this pyramid in the duke's picturesque garden demonstrated both the French appropriation of ancient civilization and testified to the duke's Masonic beliefs.

Photo: Mary B. Shepard

The herms flanking the now-shuttered entryway, are topped with human heads wearing a striped nemes--the traditional cloth head covering reserved for the pharaoh.  Time has not been kind to these sentinels.