Egyptian jewels: history, meaning and art in the jewels of the Pharaohs
Talking about Egyptian jewelry it immediately brings to mind the rich collars of the pharaohs, their gilded sarcophagi and the elaborate barrettes in Queen Cleopatra's hair. The history of jewelery of the time, however, is much more articulated: the Egyptians, in fact, were masters in the working of gold and jewels were widespread among all social classes.
From big collars to hair hoops
The most famous ornament is the collar usekh: it was the collar worn by the pharaohs, by the queens and by the statues that represented the divinities. The name means "wide" and was in fact composed of many gold threads with colored stones, but it could also be made entirely of metal. The collar was very heavy and therefore at both ends it had counterweights, called threat, which fell over his back, to keep him in place on his shoulders and around his neck.
I Egyptian jewelry they included necklaces, bracelets for the wrists and arms, anklets, earrings, breastplates. They were worn by men and women, but also by children and animals, such as cats, considered sacred. There were also various hair ornaments: the most elaborate were tiaras in gold and precious stones, but metal hoops and simpler clasps were also used.
The meaning of Egyptian jewels: ornament, prestige and protection
For the ancient Egyptians, jewels were everyday ornaments, which could also become a tool to affirm one's prestige and social status.
Above all, however, the Egyptian jewelry they were considered real amulets capable of protecting the wearer from dangers, illnesses and all kinds of negative events. They attributed themselves to stones and metals symbolic meanings: the splendor of gold represented divinity, the red of carnelian blood and therefore life, the blue of lapis lazuli the sky. The Emerald, which is said to have been Cleopatra's favorite stone, due to its green color it was the symbol of fertility and rebirth.
Jewels played an essential role in the funeral rites as propitiatory tools for the journey to the afterlife: even mummies, in fact, often wore special necklaces.
After all, many of the most precious and well-preserved jewels have been discovered in tombs, such as the famous one treasure of princess Khnumit, found in 1894 in the necropolis of Dahshur, not far from Cairo. In his sarcophagus there was a necklace made up of 6 strings of gold pearls alternating with a hundred hieroglyphics in precious stones; the wires terminated in two gold clasps in the shape of a falcon's head. Another tomb, that of Princess Sithathoriunet, discovered in 1914, contained a diadem, bracelets and breastplates considered among the best examples of Egyptian jewelry. Today you can admire the one found at the Metropolitan Museum New York.
The ancient Egyptians, expert goldsmiths
As we have said, the Egyptians were well versed in the art of working with gold. Initially they used the gold dust that deposited on the banks of the Nile, but when this became insufficient for the production of jewels they looked for gold elsewhere. They found it in the region of Nubia, whose name derives from the Egyptian term nopewhich means "gold".
The goldsmith's trade was prestigious in Egyptian society and was handed down from father to son. Craftsmen specialized in different roles, such as gemstone carver, necklace expert, beading specialist for collars.
The craftsmen knew how to work gold, set the precious stones and also create exquisite decorations. Among the techniques used in the creation of the Egyptian jewelry there was in fact also the enamel decoration. The craftsmen created small cells by welding thin wires or strips of gold on a metal plate and inserted glass or stones into these spaces, melting them with heat to create an enamel mass. The result was a kind of colored mosaic, used for jewelry, but also for other decorative objects.
Jewel with lapis lazuli and enamels, from the treasure of Tutankhamen