Ancient Egypt: Part 3

ANCIENT EGYPT

JEWELLERY

Last but not least, jewellery was an essential part of life for ancient Egyptians. Its bright colurs contrasted with their white outfits and it was a way of determining wealth and social status. It also carried out an important religious role: to protect the person from evil.

1. Headresses and crowns        

Crowns were worn by Pharaohs and Queens. There were different types:

• Nemes: made of starched linen, it was divided in parts with bright colours.
• Khepresh: the blue crown of War.
• Flat crown: it appeared during the New Kingdom (Nefertiti's crown)
• Pschent: the crown of the Upper and Lower Egypt.
• Vulture crown: worn by the Great Royal Wives

There were also headresses that emulated ostrich feathers (this was the crown of the god Osiris) or simply headbands which held the wigs.

 Creation of the Pschent combinining the crown

 of  Upper Egypt and the crown of Lower Egypt 

                Queen Nefertari wearing the vulture crown.            Khepresh (often painted in Egyptian Blue)

    2. Beards 

Even though Egyptians shaved all body hair, men could grow a little beard, which they dyed with red henna and would braid with gold threads. However, this wasn't a common practice.

As for pharaohs, they wore fake beards made of copper or gold and fastened with a cord.

In Tutankhamun's funerary mask, the king wears the Nemes and a fake beard

    3. Collars, rings and other types of jewellery

Everyone in the Kingdom put on colourful jewellery: pectorals, rings, dangling earrings, bracelets, ankles...they were all decorated with beads and images of the gods. Even the poorest citizens fabricated accessories made out of shells, painted clay or stones.

Agate, onyx, lapislazuli and carnelian were among the precious stones most frequently used.

Only Pharaohs and royal figures wore silver jewels, since gold mines could be found within the land. Thus, silver was more appreciated than gold. Besides, the crook and the flail were exclusive items only carried by the king.

Apart from this, amulets played an important role in spiritual matters, mostly protecting the bearer from evil. The most common ones were the heartscarab, which would help them in the afterlife, and the ankh, the symbol of life.

            Different kinds of pectorals

Bracelets with heartscarabs