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As Egypt is the cradle of civilization, no doubt that it is also the cradle of
the arts and the home of craftsmanship. Personal ornaments appear to have been
among the very first objects on which the invention and ingenuity of man were
exercised. In the beginning, natural objects, such as small shells, dried
berries, small perforated stones, feathers of variegated colors, were combined
by stringing or tying together to ornament the head, neck, arms and legs, the
fingers, and even the toes.
The earliest examples of Egyptian jewelry which have come down to us are those
of the Pre dynastic period (more than 3000 years B.C.), where the Egyptians had
been making beads and ornaments of semi precious stones such as amethyst, lapis
lazuli, cornelian, Quartz, Garnet, Turquoise , and other objects. They also used
man made materials such as glazed objects and colored glass imitating semi
precious stones. Most of the materials used in making these beads were chosen
for their color symbolization or amulet significance especially the ones used in
making funerary jewelry, as they had a religious and magical significance in the
Egyptian ancient world by protecting the wearer from evil. Turquoise for example
was a symbol of fertility, good luck, and as protection from the evil eye.
So as it appears, ancient Egyptians wore various shapes and kinds of jewelry,
some of which are:
* Bracelets and Bangles: these ornaments often came in matching sets. Ancient
Egyptians also used the same term for describing anklets.
* Finger rings: its earliest form was as simple as rings made of stone. Later,
rings were made of small strings of beads, gold-foil bands and wires of copper
or silver closed by twisting the ends together.
* Amulets of semi-precious stones: these were charms worn by the living or
placed on a mummy to ward off evil spirits or bring good luck.
* Cartouches: These were elliptical symbols encircling the inscribed birth and
coronation names of the king. They were usually worn as pendants.
* Pectorals: These are large pieces of jewelry, usually in the form of
trapezoids, worn on the chest.
* Necklaces: These were widely used among wealthy people, and were usually made
of precious metals such as gold and silver, and decorated with colored glass
beads and semi-precious stones.
* Earrings: Theses were worn by both men and women.
* Crowns: These were reserved for royalty. They were made of gold or silver and
decorated with semi-precious stones.
* Belts: These included waist belts and belts with hanging vertical straps
ornamented with colored beads. They were usually found in tombs.
* Vests: This kind of jewelry is only found in ancient Egyptian jewelry. It was
worn around the chest. It was usually made of gold or of gold-plated metal. Even
when it was made of a cheap material, it was painted yellow to give a golden
impression.
Gold and silver Egyptian jewelry:
The real start of Egyptian jewelry was when ancient Egyptians had access to
precious metals, for even in ancient times, Egypt was envied for its underground
treasures. At first they got these metals from the Eastern Desert and Nubia ,
later too as tribute and spoils of war from Syria and the north. Mining was
often carried out by convicts under military control.� This was a dangerous
endeavor from which many of the laborers probably never returned.
Up until the Middle Kingdom, silver was considered as valuable to the Egyptians
as gold, but after that time frame, Egyptians seem to have become fanatical over
gold. Egypt was richer in gold than any other country of the region. Statues,
furniture, vessels and jewelry, above all in the royal household and the
temples, were often created from these precious metals.
jewelry working techniques:
The Egyptians knew two kinds of bonding metals: welding and soldering. As early
as the Middle Kingdom little pieces of jewelry were welded together. Soldering
was known since the 4th dynasty at least. The work of Egyptian gold and
silversmiths also included Hammered work, engraved, incised and chased work. The
combinations of layers of gold plates, together with colored stones were also
present. Gold was also widely used in gilding other less precious materials such
as wood and stone. Cloisonn� and filigree were already known at that time. The
cloisonn� technique was used in pectorals and pendants. It created outlines of
figures and symbols with gold wires that were then soldered to sheets of beaten
gold and later inlaid with colored stones or glass. Filigree, a delicate,
lacelike ornamental work of gold or silver wire, was mostly used in buckles and
clasps of gold. Granulation was the technique of creating various designs by
soldering very tiny gold balls to the surface of gold sheets. The stones used in
the inlays were considered to have magical properties based on their color.
Egyptian craftsmen:
The standard of work of the Egyptian goldsmiths was high from the beginning of
the pharaonic age. Craftsmen in ancient Egypt were usually trained and skilled
laborers. They were often well-respected in the community and had a comfortable
lifestyle. Yet every craftsman's lifestyle and social standing depended on the
quality of his skills and experience. Most craftsmen worked in temple workshops
or palace workshops, for gold and silver jewelry were mostly reserved for the
use of the gods, the kings and, to a lesser extent, the rich and powerful. Very
few Egyptian commoners possessed any gold jewelry.
The art of jewelry making reached its peak in the Middle Kingdom, when Egyptians
mastered the technical methods and accuracy in making pieces of jewelry. During
the New Kingdom, this art flourished in an unprecedented way because of regular
missions to the Eastern Desert and Nubia to extract metals.
Famous discoveries:
It is to the tombs of ancient people that we must look for evidence of the early
existence of Egyptian jewelry. The jewelry of the ancient Egyptians has been
preserved for us in their tombs, sometimes in, and sometimes near the sarcophagi
which contained the embalmed bodies of the wearers. This is due to the ancient
Egyptian funerary beliefs that required that the mummified body should be
wearing the finest jewelry. A large number of such jewelry was found on the
mummies; for example, wreaths, crowns, or hair bands. On the head or wig, they
fixed different types of ornaments, such as small roses, golden bands, and some
simple bands of jewelry. There were also different types of belts, including
waist belts and belts with hanging vertical straps ornamented with colored
beads. Other types of jewelry included earrings, bracelets, anklets, rings, and
necklaces.
The earliest known example of Egyptian jewelry goes back to the first dynasty.
It is a set of four bracelets found in the tomb of Zer at Abydos . By the
Twelfth Dynasty the jeweler's skill had attained something as near perfection as
is possible in an imperfect world. For technical skill, delicacy of handling and
for the love of nature which the design reveals there is nothing more
fascinating than the two coronets of Khnemit, representing floral garlands used
at festivals and including most of the flowers and fruits grown in Egyptian
gardens
One of the best known examples of the magnificence of Egyptian jewelry is the
jewelry of Tutankhamen's time (18 th dynasty). Its treasures include gold
filigree and granulated gold-work, and you hardly know what, amid such
splendors, to admire most. The gold mask of the adolescent king, the headdress
and collar inlaid with colored glass, or the smaller specimens of the ancient
jewelers' art including the pectoral ornaments inlaid background of cloisonn�.
Tutankhamun's collection is the most complete royal treasure ever discovered.
If we have to speak of the production of jewelry as a modern art industry, we
should say that nowadays, the craftsman of the twentieth century follows methods
and traditions which his distant ancestors would recognize and understand, as
these techniques come down to us from very far days. |
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