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COSTUMES AND ADORNMENTS
153
is our invention, though it contains ancient Egyptian elements of design.
The many precious and semiprecious stones were cut to size for inlay work and set into a frame of gold, called a "cloison."219 Such cloisons were often soldered to a base of precious metal. Sometimes the reverse of the base showed a replica of the obverse in beautifully executed engraving.220
During the New Kingdom the employment of glass became more pronounced, for it was easier to cut to the needed size than the hard stones and could imitate the actual gem quite successfully.221
Other methods were applied to obtain the diversified shapes used as components in the making of jewelry. These were, among others, modeling, beating of gold against a die,222 moulding,223 embossing and engraving,224 and carving.225
In some instances nature suggested the many designs. They also represented symbols such as hieroglyphs which expressed meanings like "eternity," "joy," "protection and life."226 In other examples an engraved or inlaid text contained a good wish, or the name of the wearer or donor.227
All these elements were used to make bracelets, armlets, anklets, necklaces, pectorals, broad collars, rings, earrings (which were unknown in Egypt before the New Kingdom)228 and ornaments for the hair and head. All of these were made and are shown to great advantage on the screen. Some of them represent exact replicas of the originals found by archaeologists among the treasures in the tombs of Egypt. Among them are two pectorals found in the tomb of Tutankhamon now on exhibit at the Cairo Museum. One represents the traditional vulture symbol of the goddess of Upper Egypt, Nekhbet;229 the other delineates the "Birth of the Rising Sun," in which the scarab motif predominates.230 In the description of another pectoral we read that "three hundred and seventy-two fashioned bits of hard stone were cemented into place," i.e. into gold cloisons; yet, the over-all size of the design is only 3.198
219. Engelbach, p. 154.
220. Winlock, El Lahun, p. 31. See also Fox, PI. 36.
221. Engelbach, p. 155.
222. Winlock, Three Princesses, pp. 17, 23.
223. 224.
Engelbach, p. 155.
Hayes, pp. 230, 233.
225. Fox, PI. 48.
226. Winlock, El Lahun, p. 52.
227. Engelbach, p. 253. Also Hayes, p. 235.
228. Erman and Ranke, p. 254.
229. Fox, PI. 36.
230. Ibid., PI. 47.