Ball Bead
Middle Kingdom–New Kingdom (about 2055–1069 BCE)
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
3.2 × 3.1 × 3 cm (1 5/16 × 1 1/4 × 1 3/16 in.)
Classification
bead
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
135173
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Ancient Egyptians presented ball beads as votive gifts to the goddess Hathor, who was associated with beauty. In other contexts, these spherical beads could be strung on necklaces singly or in sets, or worn as hair ornaments. The hollow beads are made from Egyptian faience, a ceramic composed of quartz, an alkali, lime, and a colorant. In this example, painted black stripes accentuate the vibrant blue hue that was created by adding ground copper to the faience.
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....