Dresses of women. 467. The sash in figs. 1 and 2, though represented at the side, is to be understood as tied in front. In fig. 3 the side hair appears to be fixed by a comb; and before it, on the cheek, the short hair is arranged in separate plaits. 4 shows the shirt tied at the neck: it is a terra cotta statue. gown was of richly coloured stuff, presenting a great variety of patterns, not unlike our modern chintzes, the most elegant of which were selected for the robes of deities and the dresses of queens. Slaves or servants were not allowed to wear the same costume as ladies, and their mode of dressing the hair was different. They generally bound it at the back part of the head, into a sort of loop, or ranged it in one or more long plaits at the back, and eight or nine similar ones were suffered to hang down at either side of the neck and face.* They wore a long tight gown, tied at the neck, with short close sleeves, reaching nearly to the elbow: and sometimes a long loose robe was thrown over it, when employed to dance, or to present themselves on festive occasions. *Woodcuts 151 and 158. Ladies wore their hair long, and plaited. The back part was made to consist of a number of strings of hair, reaching to the bottom of the shoulder blades, and on each side other strings of the same length descended over the breast. The hair was plaited in the triple plait, the ends being left loose; or, more usually, two or three plaits were fastened together at the extremity by a woollen string of corresponding colour. Around the head was bound an ornamental fillet, with a lotus bud, by way of feroniere, falling over the forehead; and the strings of hair, at the sides, were separated and secured with a comb, or a band, ornamented in various ways according 468. to the fancy of the wearer: and occasionally a round stud, or pin, was thrust into them at the front. The short hair at the side of the face, which the ingenuity of ancient Roman, and modern European ladies, has, by the aid of gum, compelled to lie in an immovable curve upon the cheek, was interwoven with several of its longer neighbours; and these being bound together at the end with string, fell down before the, earring which they partially concealed; or in a simple corkscrew curl. Many of the mummies of women have been found with the hair perfectly preserved, plaited in the manner I have mentioned; the only alteration in its appearance being the change of its black hue, which became reddened by exposure to great heat, during the process of embalming. Head-dress of a lady, from a mummy case. The ancient mode of plaiting the hair seems to have been very similar to that of the women in modern Ethiopia, where, too, young girls wear a girdle, or rope, of twisted hair, leather, or other materials, decorated with shells, round the hips.* The earrings, most usually worn by Egyptian ladies, were large, round, single hoops+ of gold, from one inch and a half, to two inches and one-third, in diameter, and frequently of a still greater size; or *See woodcuts 98, 125, 151. † Woodcuts 474, fig. 5, and 159. made of six rings soldered together*; sometimes an asp, whose body was of gold set with precious stones, was worn by persons of rank, as a fashionable caprice; but it is probable that this emblem of majesty was usually confined to members of the royal family. Earrings of other forms have also been found at Thebes, but their date is uncertain; and it is difficult to say if they are of an ancient Egyptian age, or of Greek introduction. Of these the most remarkable are a dragon,† and another of fancy shape, which is not inelegant. Some few were of silver, and plain hoops, like those made of gold already noticed, but less massive, being of the thickness of an ordinary ring. At one end was a small opening, into which the curved extremity of the other caught after it had been passed through the ear; § and others were in the form of simple studs. Though gloves do not appear to have been worn by Egyptian women, they were known as early as the 18th dynasty, and brought as part of a tribute to Thothmes III. by the Rot-ǹ-n, an Asiatic people; and long linen gloves, ornamented with a blue stripe, have been found in Egypt. They wore many rings, sometimes two and three on the same 2 469. Hands of a wooden figure of a woman. Collection, now in the British Museum, *Woodcut 474, figs. 6 and 7. On the lid of a mummy case in Mr. Salt's 1. The left; 2. the right hand. + Woodcut 470, fig. 10, not unlike one of the Chinese dragons. § Woodcut 474, fig. 5. finger: the left was considered the hand peculiarly privileged to bear those ornaments, and it is remarkable that its third finger was decorated with a greater number than any other, and was considered by them, as by us, par excellence the ring finger, though there is no evidence of its having been so honoured at the marriage ceremony. They even wore a ring on the thumb; and I have seen, upon the right hand of a wooden figure, a ring on the thumb, and two on the third finger; and upon the left, one upon the thumb and little finger, two on the fore and second finger, and three on the third. One on the third finger is in the form of a trochus shell, very common in the Red Sea. Some rings were simple; others were made with a scarabæus, or an engraved stone; and they were occasionally in the form of a shell, a knot, a snake, or some fancy device. They were mostly of gold; and this metal seems to have been always preferred to silver, for rings and other articles of jewellery. Silver rings, however, are occasionally met with; and two in my possession, which were accidentally found in a temple at Thebes, are engraved with hieroglyphics, containing the name of the royal city. Bronze was seldom used for rings, though frequently for signets. Some have been discovered of brass and iron (the latter of a Roman time); but ivory and blue porcelain were the materials of which those worn by the lower classes were usually made. The scarabæus was the favourite form both for rings and the ordinary ornaments of necklaces; in some the stone, flat on both faces, turned on pins, like many of our seals at the present day, and the ring itself was bound round at each end, where it was inserted into the stone, with gold wire. This was common not only to rings but to signets, and was intended for ornament as well as security. One of the largest signets I have seen, contained twenty pounds worth of gold. (Woodcut 470, figs. 4, 5, 6, 7.) It consisted of a massive ring, half an inch in its largest diameter, bearing an oblong plinth, on which the devices were engraved one inch long, ths in its greatest, and ths in its smallest, breadth. On one face was the name of King Horus, VOL. II. Ꮓ Fig. 1. Bronze bracelet, or bangle, in the Museum of Alnwick Castle. 2. Gold bracelet in the Leyden Museum, bearing the name of Thothmes III., 14 inch high, and 3 inches in diameter. 3. Scarabæus of amethyst, with a sphinx, emblematic of the king trampling on a prostrate enemy; over it is the expression "Good God, Lord of the world." 4. A gold signet, mentioned in the last page. 5, 6, 7. The three other sides of the plinth. 8. A gold ring. 9. The engraved face of it. 10. A gold earring, about 1 inch in diameter. 11. The face of it, of the real size. 12. A gold ring, in my possession, four-fifths of an inch in diameter. 13. Gold ring with two asps. 14. A snake bracelet of gold. stone scarabæus. 16. Gold earring. 17. Gold earring with two pearls, a and b. 19. 20. Other gold earrings. 21. Gold earring, 1 inch high and six-tenths broad. Ring of porcelain, or blue glazed pottery. Museum of Alnwick Castle. 15. A 18, 22, 23 |