Albany Institute of History & Art Ancient Egyptian Collection
This year, I created an educational line of wearable art jewelry to sell at the Albany Institute of History & Art, located in downtown Albany, NY. This line creates jewelry designs based on artifacts from the Ancient Egyptian middle and new kingdom periods, but with a modern twist. These pieces are made from renewable, recyclable, and salvaged materials and also feature handmade beads made by African artists.
The goals of this collection are to create wearable art that would connect us to past civilizations; that promotes environmental conservation and innovation; that would inspire others to learn from each other; and, to be more authentic and accepting of diverse opinions and views.
This article will showcase the pieces in the Salvage & Shine Ancient Egyptian collection; provide background on the Ancient Egyptian artifacts that inspired the collection’s pieces; to discuss the environmentally conscious materials used to create each piece; and, to learn more about the Ancient Egyptian jewelry design aesthetic.
AIHA Ancient Egyptian Collection Pieces
The Lotus Bud Choker Necklace is made from recycled glass, Ghanaian recycled glass, and gold tone beads; features a zinc alloy bead; has a lobster clasp; and, is inspired by Ancient Egyptian jewelry.
The Carnelian Glass & Leather Necklace is made from leather cord, recycled glass, Ghanaian recycled glass, crystal glass, and gold tone beads; has a gold-plated brass lobster clasp; and, is inspired by Ancient Egyptian jewelry.
The Mummy Faience Bead Necklace & Bracelet set is made from recycled glass, glass seed, and gold tone beads with a gold-plated brass lobster clasp; and, is inspired by Ancient Egyptian jewelry.
The Egyptian Coil Necklace is made from recycled glass, Ghanaian recycled glass, crystal glass, and gold tone beads; features a salvaged metallic coil charm; has a gold-plated brass lobster clasp; and, is inspired by Ancient Egyptian jewelry.
The Lotus Bud 2-Tone Bracelet & Necklace set is made from recycled glass, Ghanaian recycled glass, and gold tone beads; features a zinc alloy bead; has a gold-plated brass lobster clasp; and, is inspired by Ancient Egyptian jewelry.
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Artifacts that Inspired the AIHA Ancient Egyptian Collection
Click on the hyperlinked titles below to learn more about the pieces
Pectoral and Necklace of Sithathoryunet with the Name of Senwosret II ca. 1887–1878 B.C. Middle Kingdom
This necklace inspired the silhouette of all the pieces in my collection. I found the teardrop and round bead repeating pattern breathtaking and exotic yet timeless.
Poppy seedpod necklace Ancient Egyptian new kingdom period ca. 1539–1077 B.C.
The poppy seedpod charm is a beautiful accent that Ancient Egyptians incorporated into their jewelry designs. I like how bold the shape looks and used a similar design in my lotus bud pieces.
Ancient Nubian melon beads
I was so surprised to learn that melon beads are an ancient bead design that was popular in time periods dating back to Ancient Nubia and Ancient Egypt. I had to incorporate these beads into the pieces.
Ancient Egyptian Metal Coil Beads
I was researching Ancient Egyptian artifacts and came across a bracelet design that was so elegant. When I focused in on the page, I realize that the piece was made with coil beads! I had some salvaged coil beads that I used to create the Egyptian Coil Necklace.
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