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.
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
- Rock crystal, amethyst, and an unidentified stone
- Medium
- rock, crystal, amethyst, unidentified, stone
- Locations
- Place excavated: Abydos, Egypt
- Dynasty
- Dynasty 12
- Period
- Middle Kingdom
- Dimensions
- 17 1/4 in. (43.8 cm)
- Accession Number
- 26.160
- Credit Line
- Gift of the Egypt Exploration Society
- Exhibitions
- Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Ancient Egyptian Art
- Rights Statement
- Creative Commons-BY
- Museum Location
- Old Kingdom to 18th Dynasty, Egyptian Galleries, 3rd Floor
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