Egyptian Faience Bead Necklace

New Kingdom Period to Late Period, c. 1070 BC – 600 BC, Egypt

A magnificent ancient Egyptian necklace, restrung for preservation, composed of faience beads in a striking arrangement of shapes and colors. The main body consists of long turquoise tubular beads, interspaced with smaller disc-shaped spacers in red, black, blue, brown, and white. Together, these create a rhythm of color and form that reflects the refined artistry of Egyptian jewelry-making.

Faience, a glazed non-clay ceramic made from crushed quartz or sand coated with a vitreous alkaline glaze, was one of the most iconic materials of Egyptian craftsmanship. Its luminous hues—particularly blues, greens, and turquoise—were associated with fertility, renewal, and the brilliance of eternity. From the Old Kingdom onward, Egyptian artisans expanded their palette to include black, yellow, red, and other shades, allowing for more complex and symbolic jewelry designs.

Beyond its beauty, faience carried deep spiritual meaning. The Egyptians believed that such ornaments embodied rebirth and immortality, serving as both adornment and protective amulets. Jewelry like this necklace was not merely decorative but imbued with symbolic power, intended to protect the wearer in life and in the afterlife. The shimmering blue-green tones were also admired as imitations of highly prized stones such as turquoise and lapis lazuli.

For over four millennia, faience was used to create a wide range of objects, from beads and amulets to scarabs, ushabtis, and ceremonial vessels, as well as tiles that once adorned temple walls. This necklace, originating from Naukratis—an important Egyptian-Greek trading hub—stands as a testament to both the enduring skill of Egyptian artisans and the timeless appeal of their symbolic artistry.

A rare and beautiful survival, this necklace embodies the perfect union of color, craftsmanship, and ancient belief.

Good condition. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, nicks and chips, with nice patina. Discolouration and minor earthly encrustations. Length approx. 77,0cm. 

Provenance: Dutch private collection. Acquired in the 1960s.

For a similar examples see:

Necklace, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Accession Number: 15.3.470 (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/557476)

Bead, The British Museum, Accession Number: EA87240 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/Y_EA87240)

Bead Necklace with a Heart Amulet Pendant, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Accession Number: 51.1032 (https://www.mfab.hu/artworks/18889/)

References and further reading:

Gifts of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Faience, Florence Dunn Friedman (ed.), London: Thames and Hudson, 1998

Egyptian Faiance: Technology and Production, Carolyn Riccardelli, Department of Objects Conservation, December 2017, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Ancient Technology: Faiance Beads in the Garstang Museum, Garstang Museum of Archaeology.

Ancient Egyptian Faience: An Analytical Survey of Egyptian Faience from Predynastic to Roman Times, Alexander Kaczmarczyk & Robert E. M. Hedges, Warminster: Aris & Phillips, 1983.