Ancient Egyptian Beads

Ancient Egyptian faience beads are generally found in the Egyptian burial grounds mummies and the scientific explorations of ancient mummies have brought a huge treasure of beads to the modern man for their collection. Each and every bead is unique and they are definitely a treasure to be kept in collection.

Beads, worn by both men and woman in Egypt, were believed to bring good luck.  The Egyptian word “sha” means luck and sha became the word for bead.  A number of semi-precious stones were available from Egypt’s natural resources but in ancient times, the greatest number of beads was made from faience, an inexpensive ceramic paste that was developed around 4000 BC in Egypt and Mesopotamia.  Faience is the forerunner of glass and although the recipe was a closely guarded secret, the technology spread throughout the Ancient World. 

During the late Dynastic Period in Egypt (circa 1085 BC), faience beads were produced primarily for funerary use.  Egyptians believed that to insure comfort in the Netherworld, the deceased should be surrounded by items from daily life.  Quantities of faience beads were buried with the mummy and sometimes they were strung in an intricate manner to fashion a shroud that served as an outer covering for the mummy’s linen wrapping.

In the second millennium BC, the Romans emerged from a small settlement near Rome to begin a course of expansion that was to make them the dominant power in the Mediterranean.  By the 1st Century AD, Roman territories expanded from Britain in the north to Egypt in the south.  Much of the Roman culture and crafts reflected the preceding Hellenistic period; however, their extensive trade network provided them with a great variety of materials.  Artisans often combined styles and materials creating their own unique designs.  While personal adornment was frowned upon by the early Romans, their attitude of austerity had diminished by the 1st Century BC and a rich variety of jewelry abounded.  Roman jewelry reflected both the Hellenistic influence and the Eastern taste for colored stones.

Sadigh gallery houses thousands of authentic ancient Egyptian beads.  We also carry already made necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with these ancient beads.  At the same time, the unstrung beads are extremely popular among our jewelry making customers who wish to combine beauty of the past history and their creativity together.

Click on the below link to find collection of ancient Egyptian beads from Sadigh Gallery:

http://www.sadighgallery.com/search.asp?keyword=beads&sortby=0&catid=17