A True Delight: Ancient Egyptian Arm Candy
Hi all! This is my first blog here and in fact ever. Starting today I will be sharing with you stories of my jewelry creations and events and objects that inspire me.
In this post I would like to tell the story of the Egyptian Bracelet of Good Fortune. This creation is very dear to me for many reasons that I will talk about in a moment. I will talk about it more but like my other jewelry creations it is handmade out of 925 Sterling Silver and semi-precious gemstones.
Egyptian Bracelet of Good Fortune
And just in case you are wondering how an ancient themed Egyptian Bracelet may complement your modern style, here are some photos from our Newport Beach photo shoot. I think you will agree with me that the Egyptian bracelet not only looks elegant but also compliments your style in a unique and sophisticated way. That is why I have been following my heart and creating jewelry items with fascinating stories all along.
From Our Newport Photoshoot: Egyptian Bracelet of Good Fortune
This beautiful bracelet (as well as few other items of mine) was inspired by the ancient shipwreck of Uluburun. The Uluburun shipwreck is a 3,300-year-old archeological find discovered off the coast of Uluburun (Grand Cape). It is near Kas, another lovely Mediterranean town on south-west of Turkish coastline which is not very far from my hometown Bodrum. It is among the oldest ships ever discovered. Also it is so very special since it contained one of the wealthiest and largest known assemblages of Late Bronze Age items and an amazing royal cargo of pricess treasures.
You are probably wondering where can I see these treasures. It is easy. You should come to Bodrum and check out Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archeology. There is some much to see and enjoy here.
Uluburun Shipwreck Exhibition at Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archeology
The ship was carrying over 20 tons of cargo, believed to be a royal order. In total, more than 18,000 spectacular artifacts have been recovered including precious jewels, luxurious raw materials, and even the one-and-only golden seal of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. The Uluburun shipwreck is without doubt the single most significant key to understanding Bronze Age seafaring. It is believed that merchants plied the sea in a counterclockwise route between the highly developed Syro-Palestinian coast, Cyprus, the Aegean and Egypt.
The eastern Mediterranean at 3,300 years ago in the Late Bronze Age. Possible route of the Uluburun ship (From the paper written by F. W. Welter-Schultes)
This vibrant bracelet commemorates the treasures recovered from the Uluburun Shipwreck.Sterling silver protective charms of Egyptian origin, namely a scarab, a sphinx, the God of Fertility Bes and an Eye of Ra (also known as eye of Horus) grant this bracelet its glimmer.
Here you can see the different charms of the Egyptian Bracelet of Good Fortune up close. Each charm is handmade out of 925 Sterling silver using wax modeling and lost wax casting techniques. You will also find 3 gemstones set in 925 Sterling silver, an unsymmetrical lapis lazuli, one gorgeous turquioise, and a cat eye amber. After you check out the photos below you can read about the history of each charm.
Egyptian Bracelet Charms Up-Close
Eye of Horus (a.k.a. Eye of Ra or Wedjat)
The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, royal power and good health. The eye is personified in the goddess Wadjet. It is also known as ''The Eye of Ra''. Horus was the ancient Egyptian sky god who was usually depicted as a falcon, most likely a lanner or peregrine falcon. His right eye was associated with the sun god, Ra. The eye symbol represents the marking around the eye of the falcon, including the "teardrop" marking sometimes found below the eye. The eye of Horus was often used to symbolise sacrifice, healing, restoration, and protection.
Scarab
In ancient Egyptian religion the scarab was a symbol of immortality, resurrection, transformation and protection. A scarab amulet was believed to provide the wearer with protection and confidence in the certain knowledge of reincarnation. Millions of amulets were made in Egypt depicting the scarab beetle. Scarabs were used by both the rich and the poor. It is no surprise that the one and only golden seal of Nefertiti was in a shape of a scarab.
Sphinx
The mythical sphinx has haunches of a lion, the wings of a great bird, and the face of a human. In Ancient Egypt a lot of times the head was that of a Pharaoh or a god. The Egyptians built sphinx statues to guard important areas such as tombs and temples. In many cultures spinx serves as protector and guardian.
Bes
Bes was an important god to the Egyptians because they believed that this god would protect them against evil forces. Many ancient Egyptians placed a statue of Bes near the door of their house to protect them from mishap. His protection could also be invoked by tattooing his image directly onto the body. It is interesting to note that even though he was very popular among the common folk Bes did not have a temple or priests. Nevertheless he was the champion of the people especially among mothers with children as a protective deity.
Cats in Egypt (Cat Eye Amber)
Cats, known in Ancient Egypt as "Mau", were considered sacred in ancient Egyptian society. Praised for controlling vermin and its ability to kill snakes such as cobras, the domesticated cat became a symbol of grace and poise. The cat goddess Bast (also known as Bastet) became the deity representing protection, fertility, and motherhood.
So I think that sums it up for now. I am very happy that through this blog I got a chance to tell you about myself and the Egyptian bracelet. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to send me your comments and questions. Take care and stay tuned until next time!!!
