Regardless of quality, these were objects of display, protection and power. Limestone wall painting in two registers depicting the activities of jewelry-makers and precious-metal workers Some simpler objects such as single strung barrel-shaped carnelian swr.t beads were also common in elite burials. 1069-945 BCE) and the intricate Middle Kingdom princess girdles and bracelets from their burials at Lahun and Dashur were of far different quality than a simple strung clay bead found in a poor individual’s burial.
The elaborate gold masks and inlaid pectorals of the 21st and 22nd-dynasty kings of Tanis (ca. The materials chosen and the quality of workmanship often marked the status of the owner or wearer. Most Egyptians wore some type of jewelry during their lifetimes, and almost every Egyptian was buried with some form of adornment. 2055-1650 BCE), while glass was used in some 18th-dynasty royal and elite jewelry, such as King Tutankhamun’s pectorals and inlaid mummy mask.
Meanwhile, some locally available materials were popular only during certain periods: Purple amethyst was the rage during the Middle Kingdom (ca. Gemstones such as lapis and turquoise were imported and thus often less available during unstable political periods. 1887–1813 BCEįor Egyptian jewelry, styles, material choices, fabrication techniques and even object type and decorative meaning changed over time. Cowrie shell girdle of Sithathoryunet, c.
