EGYPTIAN JEWELRY
ITEM#1001
Egyptian Faience Necklace, Late Period , CA 1085-343 BCE
AB1001 Late Dynastic Period, CA 1085-343 BCE. $120
These ancient faience beads date from Egypt’s Late Dynastic period, approximately the 21st to 30th Dynasties. They are a combination of tubular and disc beads, with the addition of 2 earlier terra cotta beads from around the Middle Kingdom’s 11th Dynasty, CA 2000 BCE. The terra cotta beads were formed by pinching a small ball of clay between the fingers, then piercing a hole before firing. Many of these beads still show the fingerprint of the maker. The beads have been strung for wearing, to a length of about 20 inches plus clasp, using modern materials and sterling clasp.
Guaranteed ancient as described.
Faience
Faience, a ceramic formed from a mixture of sand and quartz with additives for color, is considered to be the forerunner of true glass. It was used to produce beads for jewelry, as well as votive and utilitarian items. During firing, the added impurities migrated to the surface, creating the durable glaze and producing the beautiful colors it is so prized for. Large amounts of faience items were produced for funerary use as well, to accompany the departed into the afterlife. The greatest number of Egyptian beads were made of Faience, an inexpensive alternative to the precious stones they emulated, such as turquoise and lapis. Possibly invented in either Mesopotamia or Egypt, by 4000 BCE, Faience was the first mass produced synthetic material to simulate precious stones. The development of Faience, and eventually glass, satisfied the desire of the general populace to wear beads that emulated the precious stones of the wealthy.
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