Hobbies And Interests
Materials
Egyptian collars were made from beads. Sometimes the beads were attached to a semi-circle of cloth but most often they were strung together in rows. The beads were mostly made of gold but sometimes copper or silver were used.
Colored gemstones were also popular for their bright colors. They used carnelian, turquoise, lapis, jasper and feldspar. Carnelian was most often red but feldspar and jasper could be many colors, including striped or spotted. Turquoise is green-blue and lapis is rich blue, sometimes with gold flecks.
Another material for beads was a ceramic called faience. This was a cheaper material made from crushing rock crystal, a white or clear quartz. The rock crystal was heated with salt and could be made into beads or other items.
Wesehk
The wesehk style of collars is the most familiar. This is the broad necklace that covers the chest and shoulders, found in many tombs and carved in many famous sculptures, like the mask of Tutankhamen and the bust of Nefertiti. The beads are arranged in many rows hanging from a choker and they fastened in the back.
Shebyu
Shebyu collars were popular with Tutankhamens' predecessors Thuthmosis and Akhenaten, the husband of Nefertiti. These collars were five rows of beads, on circular strings rather than the wesehk's semi-circle. They fastened in the front. Beaded strands sometimes dangled from the chunky-looking fastening.
Menat
The menat style of collar was many strands of beads combined into one collar. The beaded strands were worn short, like chokers. The ends were brought together through larger beads, and attached with one fastening in the back. Amulets and larger decorations could be hung from the strands.
Status
Collars were also a status symbol in ancient Egypt. That status was often obvious by the style of collar.
Wesehk collars were worn by the wealthy and influential, since all the beads meant you had to have money to buy them. Although faience made beads more affordable, the golden and colored beads still cost a great deal.
Shebyu collars were given out to important people, particularly in the time of Akhenaten. They were used as rewards for valor in battle and other distinguishing services.
Menat collars were the mark of the goddess Hathor. The amulets on them were often of her symbol, a cow with the sun between her horns. Depictions of her priestesses -- and of the goddess herself, even in cow form -- are often wearing menat collars. The oldest menat collars were found in the tombs of priestesses of Hathor.