Symbolic Strands: A Necklace Series Inspired by Ancient Jewelry Traditions
In April I visited the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto with one of my daughters. Their permanent collections include jewelry from a variety of ancient cultures, including Byzantine, ancient Greek & Roman, ancient Celtic, and perhaps most impressive of all: ancient Egyptian. I loved the opulence of the Byzantine filigree and early signet styles, the stripped down yet powerfully bold torcs of the Celts, and the layers of symbolism attached to the scarabs. However, of all the stunning pieces I saw, none moved me more than the beaded necklaces from ancient Egypt. Pure unalloyed alluvial gold beads paired with semi-precious stones: warm, worn to the most beautiful patina, and so full of meaning and impact, it was astonishing. There was no question that the inspiration would find it’s way into my own work. As a metalsmith who works often in silver, there was also no question that the metalwork components needed to be made in solid gold - gold being one of the only materials ON EARTH that never corrodes, rusts, or tarnishes, and therefore a big part of what makes these ancient jewelry pieces so singular and impressive. To think that 4000 years have passed since they were created by human hands, and yet they remain just as beautiful; if not more so. That is what I find so moving and inspiring.
Image: Handcrafted necklaces from the 4th Dynasty of Egypt, c. 2613 to 2494 BC, part of the permanent collection of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada
Beads are one of, if not the oldest form of jewelry, the oldest of them being dated to approximately 100,000 years ago - a set of Nassarius sea snail shells found in the Skuhl Cave in present day Israel. Our ancestors wore beaded necklaces adorned with amulets, knowing the power and meaning they provided. Jewelry was thought to be magical, and of course, with our thoughts we make the world. Beaded necklaces protected the wearer from disease and evil spirits and brought them good fortune, love, and healing.
Rather than being status symbols, beaded necklaces were talismans that imbued the wearer with the healing powers of the gems and the sacred symbolism of the motifs and elements. Thus, everyone wore jewelry - whether you were a humble farmer or a princess. Affluent members of society would wear beaded necklaces made from gemstones, gold, and glass beads, while poorer people would use painted clay, stones, shells, and animal teeth and bones for their bead strands.
Ancient Egyptians wore their bead strands adorned with amulets of their deities from an early age, throughout their lives, and even in the afterlife, when a heartscarab would be placed on the heart of the dead person to aid in their successful entry into the afterlife. The heart was believed to carry a record of all the actions during their lifetime, and would be weighed against a feather from the Goddess Ma’at. If the scales were balanced the individual passed into the afterlife.
For my series of beaded amulets, I’ve chosen to create with my favourite theme: celestial bodies. The sun, represented in both a sunburst form and a rising sun, is symbolic of the divine spark, the great wheel of life, the sun rises and sets, creates the turning of the seasons, represents the endless cycles of creation and destruction, and is the source of all life on earth. The north star, also known as Polaris, is the brightest star in the sky here in the northern hemisphere. As such, it has guided humans as a navigational tool since ancient times. In a modern context, the north star also serves as a metaphor for internal navigation: guiding us with the light of our own inner truth; our highest self.
Image: Symbolic Strands - a limited run of 5 necklaces featured handcrafted recycled 14 karat gold amulets, 14 karat gold saucer beads, and semi-precious gemstones. See more here: Symbolic Strands