Necklace of Graduated Ball Beads

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This necklace of graded blue faience ball beads was found lying over the chest of Wah's mummy in the same layer of wrappings as three scarab bracelets (40.3.12–40.3.14). The beads were strung on several strands of linen thread that were then sewn to the thicker ties of twisted linen cord. Tied around the mummy's neck in a slightly higher layer of wrappings were four necklaces: one of gold beads (40.3.17); one of silver beads (40.3.19); one strung with beads of a variety of shapes and materials (40.3.16); and another of blue faience beads (40.3.18). All five of these necklaces were probably worn by Wah during his lifetime.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.

Metropolitan Museum of Art