Shell pendant or bead
Unknown Artist
ca. 3850–2960 B.C.
Medium
Shell
Classification
Pendant, shell
Period
Predynastic Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Bashford Dean, 1916
Accession Number
16.7.35
Art Historical Context
This delicate shell pendant or bead, to around 3850–2960 B.C., hails from Egypt's Predynastic Period fascinating era before the pharaohs, when communities along the Nile were transitioning from hunter-gatherer to settled agricultural life. Crafted from a single shell, likely sourced from the Red Sea or Mediterranean coasts, it exemplifies early Egyptian ingenuity in personal adornment. Such items were often strung into necklaces or used as amulets, hinting at emerging social distinctions and beliefs in protective charms. The simplicity of its form belies its cultural weight: Predynastic jewel...