String of 3 amulets and 1 cylindrical bead
Unknown Artist
ca. 1850–1750 B.C.
Medium
Green feldspar, beryl, faience, glazed steatite, and carnelian
Dimensions
15.3.301: 3.6 cm (1 7/16 in.); 15.3.302: 0.7 cm (1/4 in.); 15.3.303: 0.7 cm (1/4 in.); 15.3.304: 0.8 cm (5/16 in.)
Classification
Beads
Period
Middle Kingdom
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1915
Accession Number
15.3.301–.304
Art Historical Context
This delicate string of three amu and one cylindrical bead hails from Egypt's Middle Kingdom, dating to around 1850–1750 B.C., during the 12th to early 13th Dynasty. Crafted for personal adornment or ritual use, these tiny treasures—measuring just a few centimeters—exemplify the era's refined jewelry-making, a time when Egypt enjoyed renewed stability and artistic innovation after the First Intermediate Period. The pieces showcase a vibrant array of materials: vibrant green feldspar and beryl for their life-affirming hues, glassy blue-green faience (a molded, glazed ceramic prized for its jew...