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Jewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures from the Worcester Art Museum
June 18, 2022 – January 29, 2023
Opening 100 years after the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb, Jewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures from the Worcester Art Museum puts the Museum's extensive collection of ancient Egyptian jewelry on view for the first time in a century. This collection—much of it assembled by Kingsmill Marrs (d. 1912) and Laura Norcross Marrs (1845 – 1926) and given to WAM by Mrs. Marrs—is remarkable for both its breadth and quality. Worn by people at all levels of society, jewelry in ancient Egypt reflected the identities and beliefs of the individuals who wore it, the technical capabilities and skills of the artisans who crafted it, and the international trade that fostered it. Jewelry fulfilled a universal desire to adorn the body—especially in cultures where personal adornment is believed to possess supernatural powers to protect the wearer from potential harm, illness, and the malevolent forces of nature. In Egypt this amuletic function continued even after death, shown by the numerous adornments worn by the deceased in the hope of a successful journey to the afterlife. In ancient Egypt, there was a wide range of jewelry forms, including ornaments designed to encircle and magically protect vulnerable parts of the body, such as the neck. Among the earliest were diadems worn on the head, necklaces, upper armlets, wrist ornaments, girdles draped around the waist, and anklets. Finger rings came later, while earrings appear to have been introduced around 1700 BCE into Egypt from its southern neighbor, Nubia. These ornaments were made of precious metals (gold and silver) and semiprecious hard stones, such as carnelian, amazonite, and lapis lazuli. All were prized not only for their aesthetic appeal but for their symbolic associations with the gods and the powers inherent in nature. Less costly jewelry was made from glazed steatite and colorful faience (a quartz-based ceramic). Our understanding of ancient Egyptian jewelry comes largely from scientific excavations conducted by archaeologists such as Howard Carter, a friend of the Marrses who is widely known for his discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922. It was a find that dazzled the world and helped generations of historians come to appreciate the meaning, use, and forms of adornment worn by Egypt’s ruling elites. A century later, we celebrate Laura Norcross Marrs' generosity and ancient Egypt's creative legacy with Jewels of the Nile, an exciting exhibition of over 300 objects, ranging in size from tiny beads to massive sculptures.
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support from Dr. Sohail Masood, his wife Mona Masood, and their children Laila Masood and Omar Masood. It is also funded in part by the Fletcher Foundation and Rita J. and Stanley H. Kaplan Family Foundation, Inc. Additional support is provided by Sandy Hubbard and Thomas J. Logan.
Pictured above: 1926.48 Faience, 1926.61 Faience, 1926.53 Steatite, 1926.50 Steatite, 1926.45 Steatite, 1926.54 Faience, 1926.46 Steatite, 1926.59 Faience, 1926.68 Faience, 1926.51 Faience, 1926.56 Faience, 1926.52 Steatite, 1926.49 Steatite
The sacred beetle
In ancient Egypt several species of beetle were imbued with magical, talismanic properties. One particular species of dung beetle—the sacred scarab, Scarabaeus sacer—is most closely aligned with Egypt, appearing as an amulet, or charm, around 2,000 BCE. Egyptians were fascinated by the insect’s unusual reproductive and feeding habits. In one instance, the female beetle lays an egg in a pear-shaped ball of animal dung buried underground. As the egg hatches, the young beetle emerges live from the sand as if magically self-created. In a second type of dung ball, the scarab rolls the ball across the sand where it is eventually hidden and consumed. The Egyptians saw these actions as the embodiment of the creator god Khepri, the force responsible for the sun’s emergence from the underworld as it begins its westward journey across the sky. This symbolic movement represented the ultimate act of renewal—a cosmic ritual reenacted daily. Three-dimensional representations of scarab beetles were made in vast numbers in ancient Egypt, offering renewed life and protection to both the living and the dead. Their power lies not only in their beetle form, but in the magical inscriptions, emblems, and pictorial images that were often added to their flat bases. Most scarabs are small (less than an inch), were worn as body adornments, and decorated with a range of motifs. These include symmetrically arranged designs, images of the gods, kings’ names in cartouches, good wishes, and protective mottos. The most prized examples are made of precious metal (rare) and semiprecious hardstones. Others are made of glazed steatite or in brilliantly hued faience.
Excerpt from the exhibition catalog, Jewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures from the Worcester Art Museum, by exhibition co-curators Peter Lacovara and Yvonne J. Markowitz.
