Beads

Dynasty Dynasty 19 (Ancient Egyptian, 1295–1186 BCE)

Period New Kingdom Period (Ancient Egyptian, 1550–1070 BCE)

Place of OriginEgypt, Balabish necropolis

Date19th Dynasty (1292–1189 BCE)

Dimensions34 1/4 in. (87 cm)

Mediumfaience

ClassificationJewelry

Credit LineEgypt Exploration Fund

Object number

1915.105

Not on View

Label TextThese faience beads come from the Balabish cemetery, excavated in 1915 under the direction of G.A. Wainwright and Thomas Whittemore. Located near Abydos, the site contained over 240 burials dating from the Second Intermediate Period to the Late Period. Faience, a glazed ceramic, was prized for its bright colors and symbolic power. Beads like these were worn in life and placed in tombs for protection and renewal in the afterlife. This strand was likely reassembled after excavation for museum display.Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, The Egypt Experience: Secrets of the Tomb, October 29, 2010-January 8, 2012.