A handmade historical reproduction of Ancient Egyptian cowrie shell bracelets

Cowrie shell braclets

NEW KINGDOM
1570 - 1185 BCE

Cowrie shells were valued as amulets in Ancient Egypt, often incorporated into bracelets, necklaces and girdles. These cowrie shell bracelets are a replica of a New Kingdom funerary artefact, though could be associated with a much broader period of Egyptian history. They are constructed with drilled cowrie shells and fastened with twined flax cords.

Artwork Details

Medium: Cowrie shells, twisted flax

Period: Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th - 19th Dynasty

Date: ca. 1570-1185 BCE

Geography: Abydos, Egypt

Reference: MH 1911.25a-b.A.M, Mount Holyoke

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