Sidelocks and Elements of Wig Decoration

1980–1801 BCE

Egypt, Middle Kingdom (2040–1648 BCE), Dynasty 12

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Medium

Electrum (?) over a calcite gesso; silver

Measurements

Average: 1 cm (3/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1914.795

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Location

108C African Jewelry and Metalwork

Description

Elite Egyptian people once elaborately styled their hair or wore costly wigs to show their status. To further beautify their locks, women and men alike wove or sewed ornaments into their wigs or onto textiles draped over them. While most historical Egyptian wigs disintegrated over centuries, sculptures and friezes show how people wore these shining ornaments. Made from silver, curved sidelock pendants attached to braid ends or dangled on the forehead. Also of silver, tubes slid over braids or sectioned hair. Floral rosettes could have been sewn throughout, adding visual interest and reflecting the light with their faceted surfaces. While acquired together, these ornaments weren’t necessarily part of a set.