Ancient Egyptian Faience Lentoid Bead Ex. Gustav Jecquier

Ancient Egyptian Faience Lentoid Bead 

Green faience lentoid bead

Measurement: 1.5 cm x1 x .3

Material/colour: green glazed composition, faience. Technique: ceramic, moulded. Pierced through long axis for stringing.

Condition: glaze worn on back and almost completely absent from design, some chipping on boarders.

Date: Late Middle Kingdom – Second Intermediate Period. The ‘S’ curves are typical of the earlier period, but the central rosette design with opposed water lily shapes at the long ends are similar to lentoids found at Medinet Habu.

Provenance: Collected by Gustave Jéquier (1868-1946)

Ex. Billy Jamieson Collection, 2009 (1954-2011)

Authentication: Gayle Gibson, Royal Ontario Museum Toronto

Identification and Interpretation: Bead from a necklace with geometric design.

Workmanship: original mould may not have clearly defined boarder on design.

Function and Meaning: element from personal adornment item.

Parallels: Oriental Institute excavations at Medinet Habu have excavated a great number of beads from disturbed contexts. Similar but not precisely identical lentoid beads can be found in Emily Teeter, Scarabs, Scaraboids, Seals and Seal Impressions from Medinet Habu