Through the Eras

FashionSEMI-PRECIOUSStones—Imported and LocalThe Egyptians used a wide variety of imported andlocal semi-precious stones in their jewelry. The followinglists show the range of colorful stones available for theancient jeweler to set. Jewelry also helps to establishwide-ranging trade networks available to the Egyptians.Local StonesAmazoniteAmethystBanded AgateCalciteCarnelianEmeraldFluosparGreen feldsparHematiteJasperMalachiteOlivinePeridotPorphyryRock crystalSerpentineImported Semi-Precious StonesLapis lazuli, AfghanistanTurquoise, SinaiObsidian, IranBOATMAN’S CIRCLET. The Egyptians called the firstknown head ornaments worn both by men and womenthe boatman’s circlet. Originally it was a headband madeof woven reeds that kept a boatman’s hair in place whilehe worked. Wealthy women such as Seneb-tisi who livedin the Twelfth Dynasty (1938–1759 B.C.E.) had a goldhead circlet imitating the boatman’s headband. PrincessKhnumet, also of the Twelfth Dynasty, was buried in aheadband of gold imitating the reeds of a boatman’s circletbut with additional blue, red, and green stones torepresent flowers.DIADEMS. A headband or circlet becomes a diademwhen a royal person wears it. Gold headbands withadded Uraeus-snake or vulture were worn by queens inthe Twelfth Dynasty. Princess Sit-Hathor-Yunet wore adiadem with fifteen inlaid roundels, papyrus flowers, anda Uraeus-snake. A royal woman of the Eighteenth Dynastywore such a diadem with a gazelle rather than aUraeus, a sign she was a secondary queen.WIG DECORATIONS. Burials of the Twelfth andEighteenth Dynasties also have revealed wig decorations.Seneb-tisi, a woman who lived in the TwelfthDynasty included gold rosettes spaced at regular intervalson her wig. Princess Sit-Hathor-Yunet wore shortgold tubes threaded on the hair of her wig. One of theroyal women from the Eighteenth Dynasty wore a headcovering of gold rosettes strung between beads over herwig.RINGS AND EARRINGS. Finger rings of gold, silver,bronze, copper, or faience often incorporated hieroglyphicsigns, especially signs for words that signifiedcharacteristics Egyptians prized. Thus jewelers maderings from the ankh (life) hieroglyphs along with signsfor eternal existence, healing, protection, and stability.One popular ring form was a bezel or base for a scarabbeetle with an inscription on the bottom. Often the inscriptionwas the name of a king, a deity, or a wish forhealth. Unlike rings, which were standard jewelry longbefore 2000 B.C.E., ear ornaments joined Egyptian jewelryin the Second Intermediate Period (1630–1539B.C.E.) and did not become popular until the New Kingdom(1539–1075 B.C.E.). Popular styles included hoops,pendants, studs, and plugs. Both men and women woreearrings, though kings did not wear them in representations,even though several royal mummies have piercedears. Earrings were included among Tutankhamun’streasures, but the mummy did not wear earrings eventhough he had pierced ears and wore many other kindsof jewelry. This is a puzzling contradiction.BEADED COLLARS. In Egypt’s long history therewere several trends or fads in jewelry. But the longestliveditem was the beaded collar. There were two typesof beaded collars worn by men, women, and deities. Theyincluded the wesekh (“broad”) collar and the shenu (“encircling”)collar. The wesekh collar consisted of severalrows of upright tube-shaped beads, strung close together.The bottom row used pendants shaped like a beetle, aArts and Humanities Through the Eras: Ancient Egypt (2675 B.C.E.–332 B.C.E.) 107