Broad collar

Egypt

2040–1783 BCE

Egyptian faience

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A wide, U-shaped collar necklace made of numerous small, cylindrical turquoise beads. It features two stylized bird heads at the ends and a fringe of teardrop-shaped beads along the bottom edge. A wide, U-shaped collar necklace made of numerous small, cylindrical turquoise beads. It features two stylized bird heads at the ends and a fringe of teardrop-shaped beads along the bottom edge. This broad collar with falcon head terminals is made of Egyptian faience, a glazed ceramic made not of clay but silica, one of the ingredients of glass. Its characteristic green color was likened to new plant shoots and was symbolic of regeneration, while its luster evoked the brilliance of the sun. Because Egyptians believed they could be reborn into the afterlife, these associations made faience the ideal material for funerary jewelry. Gal