String of beads

String of beads

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Even in the earliest graves, everyone was buried wearing their favorite ornaments. Jewelry was simple: necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Amulets, semi-diadems (forehead ornaments), and belts occasionally occur. Jewelry often provided protection through its shape, material, and color; some pieces conferred status through type or material. This necklace, of clay and carnelian beads, was found with the burial of a child, along with a number of other luxury and prestige items (see 09.182.1-.8). Clearly the child was born into a wealthy and powerful family, and acquired his or her status through birth.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.