Photo of collection object Necklace
Necklace, ca. 1938-1759 B.C.E.. Amethyst, stone, faience, 24 in. (61 cm). Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society , 26.46. Creative Commons-BY.

Necklace

ca. 1938-1759 B.C.E.

Maker Unknown

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Middle Kingdom Jewelry

Gracious taste, arresting design, and technical mastery of materials characterize Middle Kingdom jewelry.


Jewelers elevated their craft to a level of artistic accomplishment unrivaled in Egyptian history. They refrained from excess, choosing simple, clean forms and understated color patterns. For instance, unlike flamboyant examples from the later New Kingdom, Middle Kingdom necklaces were usually monochromatic and almost never included beads of more than three colors. The most expensive jewelry featured beads made of gold; because it never tarnishes, gold was called the “flesh of the gods” and conveyed immortality.

Jewelers of the Middle Kingdom also relied on certain attractive semiprecious stones that had appeared only sporadically in the Old Kingdom. Red carnelian represented blood’s life-giving properties, and green turquoise symbolized vegetation and fertility and thus resurrection. Purple amethyst and pale blue anhydrite, however, seem to have had no magical powers and were admired solely for their visual appeal.
Maker/Artist
Maker Unknown
Classification
Jewelry
Formatted Medium
Amethyst, stone, faience
Locations
Place excavated: Abydos, Egypt
Dynasty
Dynasty 12
Dimensions
24 in. (61 cm)
Accession Number
26.46
Credit Line
Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society
Rights Statement
Creative Commons-BY
Dominant Colors

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