The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 14, 2026

Arranged in a vertical column, these electrum and silver elements include two circular disks at the top featuring radiating sunburst patterns. Seven cylindrical beads follow, staggered down the center. At the base, two elongated elements curve into elegant, inward-facing spirals. The metallic surfaces exhibit a muted gray and warm gold patina with subtle wear, highlighting the intricate craftsmanship of these ancient jewelry components.

Sidelocks and Elements of Wig Decoration

1980–1801 BCE

Egypt, Middle Kingdom , Dynasty 12

(2040–1648 BCE)
Electrum (?) over a calcite gesso; silver
Average: 1 cm (3/8 in.)
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1914.795
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.
  • Purchased in Egypt by Lucy Olcott Perkins through Henry W. Kent
  • Berman, Lawrence M., and Kenneth J. Bohač. Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1999 Reproduced: p. 174; Mentioned: p. 174
    Ellington, Tameka N., Joseph L. Underwood, and Sarah Rogers-Lafferty. Textures: The History and Art of Black Hair. 2020. p. 83
  • Silver, Gold, and Gems: A Spotlight on Jewelry Across Africa. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 7, 2025-December 6, 2026).
    Textures: The Art and History of Black Hair. Kent State University Museum, Kent, OH (organizer) (September 10, 2021-August 14, 2022) https://www.kent.edu/museum/event/textures-history-and-art-black-hair.
  • {{cite web|title=Sidelocks and Elements of Wig Decoration|url=false|author=|year=1980–1801 BCE|access-date=14 September 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1914.795