Composite Necklace of Faience and Carnelian Beads
Composite Necklace of Faience and Carnelian Beads
Place of OriginEgypt, reportedly from Giza
Dateabout 6th century BCE
Dimensions17 1/2 in. (44.5 cm)
Mediumenameled glass strung with carnelian beads
ClassificationGlass
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number
1916.68
Not on View
DescriptionA single strand of forty-seven beads, measuring 17.5 inches in length. The necklace is a composite, strung with beads of two different materials: carnelian, a reddish-brown semi-precious stone, and beads described in early records as "enameled glass." This latter material is likely Egyptian faience
Label TextThis colorful strand combines beads made from two materials popular in ancient Egypt: reddish carnelian and bright, glazed faience. While ancient Egyptians wore complex jewelry, this particular necklace was likely assembled in the early 1900s by an antiquities dealer. The beads themselves are ancient, probably dating from different eras, but they were strung together for sale to appeal to modern collectors. The dealer claimed they were found at Giza, the site of the famous pyramids, but this cannot be confirmed.
25th–31st Dynasties (747–332 BCE)
18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BCE), about 1350 BCE
Probably Late Helladic III, about the 14th-12th century BCE
Roman Period, 1st-4th century CE
1st century BCE - 1st century CE
New Kingdom, 1550-1070 BCE
1st-4th century CE
2nd century BCE - 2nd century CE
Membership
Become a TMA member today
Support TMA
Help support the TMA mission