No. 408.

Rings, signets, bracelets, and earrings.

Fig. 1. Bronze bracelet, or bangle, in the museum of Alnwick Castle.

2. Gold bracelet in the Leyden Museum, bearing the name of Thothmes III., 14 inch high, and 3 inches in diameter. 3. Scarabæus of amethyst, with a sphinx, emblematic of the king, trampling on a prostrate enemy; over it is the expression "Good God, Lord of the world. 4. A gold signet, mentioned in the last page. 5, 6, 7. The three other sides of the plinth. 8. A gold ring. 9. The engraved face of it. 10. A gold earring, about 1 inch in diameter. 12. A gold ring in my possession four-fifths of an inch in diameter. 11. The face of it, of the real size. 13. Gold ring with two asps. 14. A snake bracelet of gold. 15. A stone scarabæus. 16. Gold earring. 17. Gold earring with two pearls, a and b. 18, 19, 20. Other gold earrings. 21. Gold earring, 1 inch high, and six-tenths broad.

22, 23. Ring of porcelain, or blue-glazed pottery, Museum of Alnwick Castle.

armlets, and bracelets, frequently inlaid with precious stones, or enamel : some were in the shape of snakes, and others as simple rings: and worn by men as well as women. Kings are often represented with armlets and bracelets; and in the Leyden Museum is a gold one* bearing the name of the third Thothmes, which was doubtless once worn by that monarch; and without any great licence of imagination we may suppose it to have been seen by Moses himself, if Thothmes was the Pharaoh who oppressed the Israelites, and into whose presence the Jewish legislator was so often summoned.

Handsome and richly ornamented necklaces were a principal part of the dress, both of men t and women; and some idea may be formed of the number of jewels they wore, from those borrowed by the Israelites at the time of the Exodus, and by the paintings of Thebes. They consisted of gold, or of beads of various qualities, and shapes, disposed according to fancy: generally with a large drop, or figure in the centre. Scarabæi, gold, and cornelian bottles, or the emblems of goodness and stability, lotus flowers in enamel, amethysts, pearls, false stones, imitations of fish, shells, and leaves, with numerous figures, and devices, were strung in all the variety which their taste could suggest; and the sole museum of Leyden possesses an infinite assortment of those objects,

* Vide wood-cut, No. 408. fig. 2.

+ Necklaces and bracelets were worn by the Carthaginians, and by many Europeans, as the Gauls, Sabines and others. Judah's bracelets and signet are mentioned in Genesis, xxxviii. 18.

which were once the pride of the ladies of

Thebes.

Some wore simple gold chains, in imitation of string, to which a stone scarabæus, set in the same precious metal, was appended; but these probably belonged to men, like the torques of the Romans.* A set of small cups, or covered saucers, of bronze gilt, hanging from a chain of the same materials, were sometimes worn by women; a necklace of which has been found, belonging to a Theban lady,

offering a striking contrast in their simplicity to the gold leaves inlaid with lapis lazzulit, red and green stones of another she wore: which served, with many more in her possession, to excite the admiration of her friends.

The devices engraved on scarabæi, rings, and other objects of ornamental luxe, varied according to the caprice of individuals. Rings frequently bore the name of the wearer; others of the monarch in whose reign he lived; others, again, the emblems of certain deities; and many were mere fanciful combinations. The greater number consisted of scarabæi, mounted upon a gold ring passing through them the scarabæus itself was of green stone, cornelian, hæmatite, granite, serpentine, agate, lapis lazzuli, root of emerald, amethyst, and other materials; and a cheaper kind was made of limestone, stained to imitate a harder and dearer quality; or of the ordinary blue pottery.

* Pharaoh "put a gold chain about (Joseph's) neck,” Gen. xli. 42. : and "a ring upon Joseph's hand." Vide wood-cut, No. 409. fig. M. + Vide wood-cut, No. 409. figs. B, I a.

A

B

C

d

Various Necklaces from the Leyden Museum.

C

B is composed of small covered cups, of bronze gilt.

Ib is the other end of I a. These leaves are of gold inlaid with lapis lazzuli and green and red stones.

Ma a sort of gold torques or chain of which a stone scarabæus found in gold forms the centre ornament. U in the possession Mr. Madox.

V W X Y Z gold catches of necklaces; one sliding into the other.

U

Of the various objects of the toilet, found at Thebes, and other places, the principal are bottles, or vases, for holding ointment, and kohl or collyrium for the eyes, mirrors, combs, and the small boxes, spoons, and saucers, already mentioned. † The ointment was scented in various ways, and I have had occasion to notice ‡ some preserved in the museum at Alnwick Castle, which has retained its odour § several centuries; and the great || use of ointment by the Egyptians is sufficiently indicated in the paintings representing the reception of guests at their parties.

With the exception of the little found in the tombs, we have nothing to guide us respecting the nature of Egyptian ointments. Some appear to be made with a nut oil ¶, but it is probable that animal, as well as vegetable, grease was employed for this purpose; the other ingredients depending on the taste of the maker, or the purchaser. Julius Pollux ** mentions a black kind made in Egypt, and speaks of the sagdas as an ointment of that country. Theophrastus ††, on the contrary, states

*It has the same name in Hebrew. + Vol. II. p. 355. et seq.

Vol. II. p. 214.

Theophrastus says, "The Egyptian ointment was not very strongly

scented."

Athenæus says the revenues of Anthylla were given to the queens of Egypt for the purchase of ointments, another term for pin-money, lib. i. 25. Vide Corn. Nep. in vitâ Agesilai, and Juv. Sat. xv. 50.

This agrees with the Balavov of Theophrastus. Vide Plin. xiii. 1. ** J. Pollux, Onom. vi. xix. ++ Theophr. De odoribus.