Although we now associate fine cotton with Egypt, the ancient Egyptians did not cultivate that crop (although they did trade it with the Romans). Instead, they used linen (mnkht), made from the stem of the flax plant. Cloth was generally woven by women, who could sell whatever excess cloth they could make. Weaving was a […]

It is easier to visualize their clothing once you understand the unique way Egyptians drew the human form. We will look at the material, the various styles they wore, their makeup and finish with the scented cone. ARTISTIC CONVENTION Every artist must follow a particular set of conventions in order to transfer three dimensional reality […]

The most important of all the fashion accessories was the wig. Shiny, black hair, perhaps because of its association with youth and vitality, was associated with eroticism, and artificial hair was a simple way to maintain what nature neglected. Wigs served a more practical function, however. Natural hair that was thick enough to protect the […]

The Mediterranean region was ruled by ancient Egypt from roughly 3100 B.C. to 332 B.C., when it was conquered by Alexander the Great. Most people are familiar with the Great Pyramids, which stand as icons of Egypt’s majesty. Explorers and scientists have learned many fascinating facts about Egypt, thanks to the artifacts that were left […]

It’s been hundreds of thousands of years since the first simple jewelry pieces were crafted from seashells, bone, and animal skin. In the years since our ancestors first left the African continent, Egypt has become a dominant civilization in ancient history. They were empowered by advances in technology, and access to gemstones and precious metals. […]

Fashion amongst the ancient Egyptians tended to be straightforward, practical and uniformly unisex. Egyptian society viewed men and women as equals. Hence, both sexes for the majority of Egypt’s population wore similar styled clothes. In Egypt’s Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE) upper-class women tended to adopt flowing dresses, which effectively concealed their breasts. However, lower […]

Ancient Egyptian Jewellery The earliest evidence of jewellery making in ancient Egypt dates to 4000 BC. Today, ancient Egyptian jewellery has gifted us with some of the rarest and most sublime examples of ancient craftsmanship discovered to date. Both men and women in ancient Egypt proved themselves to be great admirers of jewellery. They adorned themselves with […]

Emerald was Queen Cleopatra‘s favourite gemstone. She had her jewellers carve emeralds in her likeness, which she gave as gifts to foreign dignities. Emeralds were mined locally in ancient times close to the Red Sea. Egypt monopolized the trade in emeralds until the 16th century and the discovery of Central and South America. Ancient Egyptians equated […]

Gold and jewellery making played an important part in Egyptian culture, with the Egyptian era essentially dominated by gold. The enduring image of the Tutankhamun’s Death mask quantifies that superbly (above). The impact of such a bold use of metal makes the mask memorable, and solidifies the wide association with gold and metals, which is […]

The Egyptians used glass extensively in their jewellery. It was used to create a plethora of different coloured beads which were then strung together, sometimes with gold, to make fabulous collars, necklaces, rings and earrings. Glass was also used in intricate cloisonné work which is evident in many of the more important pieces of Egyptian […]