Beadnet dress Egyptian Old Kingdom,Dynasty 4,reign of Khufu2551–2528 B.C.Findspot: Egypt, Giza, Tomb G 7440 Z.
Depictions of women in Egyptian art occasionally feature garments
decorated with an overall lozenge pattern. This design is believed to
represent beadwork, which was either sewn onto a linen dress or worked
into a separate net worn over the linen. This beadnet dress is the
earliest surviving example of such a
garment. It has been painstakingly reassembled from approximately seven
thousand beads found in an undisturbed burial of a female contemporary
of King Khufu. Although their string had disintegrated, a few beads
still lay in their original pattern on and around the mummy, permitting
an accurate reconstruction. The color of the beads has faded, but the
beadnet was originally blue and blue green in imitation of lapis lazuli
and turquoise.
Provenance
From Giza, tomb G 7440 Z. 1927:
excavated by the Harvard University-Museum of Fine Arts Expedition;
1927: assigned to the MFA by the government of Egypt. (Accession Date:
May 27, 1987)
Source:Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition
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