Miniature Broad Collar

“𓄤𓆑𓂋𓅱𓏭𓇑𓇑 – How Beautiful This Is!” – I feel like this is the only appropriate phrase to describe this piece!

At the MET, this is named the “Miniature Broad Collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝.” It’s hard to tell from the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, but this piece is actually small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩! It was probably not meant to be worn by a person – instead, this broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 was most likely ceremonial and was probably placed on a statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾!

In Middle Egyptian, the word for broad collar was 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 (pronounced “wesekh) or simply just the determinative hieroglyph 𓋝 could be used for the whole word. This particular broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 was made during the early Ptolemaic Period (332–246 B.C.E.), though broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 became very popular during the 18th Dynasty!

The broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝 was the necklace of choice by both the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹 and the pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦. Broad collars 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝𓏦 could be made of many different types of materials, including gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 and inlaid stones 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓈙𓏦. In this broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝, lapis lazuli 𓐍𓋴𓃀𓂧𓏧 and turquoise were the stones of choice! I love how the colors of the gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 and the different blues 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 counteract each other – it truly makes this a stunning 𓄤 piece! Though small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩, this piece truly stands out!