Provenance
Standard early provenance.
Previous assessment
Winlock states that before the necklets were washed in the Museum, they looked as though they had been in contact with the bodies themselves, so badly were they stained (1948: 42).
Current understanding
Wire strung with beads appear in the late Old Kingdom (Firth and Gunn 1926: 12, pi. 15b no. 2, and Vernier 1925: CG 52748; Hansen 1967: 15, pi. 14 fig. 24). According to an X ray of Tuthmosis Ill’s mummy, the king had a wire bangle on his lower arm (Wente and Harris 1980; microfiche i, D8—9), while a wire with three small rings was on one anklet of Tutankhamun’s mummy, shaped so that the thinner part of the wire allowed expansion (Carter 256mm, Carter 1927: pis. 35a, 82b). A seweret-hesid also appears on a wire necklet in the late Old Kingdom (Firth and Gunn 1926: pi. 15b no. I, and Vernier 1925: CG 52746). Sewerets were generally popular in the Middle Kingdom (C. Andrews 1994: 99) but a camelian example was found in the mummy of Maiherpri (Daressy 1902: 30 no. 24o68bis, no. a).
19 Seweret-necklet Fig. 104 (top right)
MMA 26.8.112 (P 102).
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1920.
Materials Gold wire, camelian.
Dimensions Diam 7.8.
Manufacture Wire tapered at ends, some splitting along length. Twisting seems original.
Bibliography Winlock 1948: pi. 23a (upper left).
20 Largest seweret-necklee Fig. 104 (top center)
MMA 26.8.113 (P 103).
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1920.
Materials Gold wire, camelian.
Dimensions Diam lo. o.
Manufacture Ends of wire taper; twisting seems original. Some splitting of wire.
Bibliography Winlock 1948; pi. 23a (top center); Hayes 1959b; I37f, fig. 74; Brier 1980: fig. 16.
21 Seweret-necklet Fig. 104 (top left)
MMA 26.8.114 (P 149).
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1921.
Materials Gold wire, camelian.
Dimensions Diam 8.3.
Manufactuile Ends tapered; twisting seems original.
Some splitting of wire.
Bibliography Winlock 1948; pi. 23a (upper right).
22 Necklet with seven beads
Fig. 104 (bottom right)
MMA 26.8.115 (P 150)-
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1921.
Materials Gold wire, faience beads.
Dimensions Diam 9.0.
Manufacture Wire ends not tapered, and wrapped around each other for only a short distance. Beads mdi-mentary but ridges parallel to axis of hole indicate they are melon type, with one showing a seam.
Condition Some orange deposit on beads.
Bibliography Winlock 1948: pi. 23a (lower right).
23 Necklet with melon beads
Fig. 104 (bottom left)
MMA 26.8.116 (P 151).
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1921.
Materials Gold wire, ten faience beads.
Dimensions Diam 8.2.
Manufacture Wire tapered at ends, wrapping one around the other; beads fairly well formed but somewhat decayed.
Condition Orange accretions.
Bibliography Winlock 1948: pi. 23a (lower left); Hayes 1959b: I37f, fig. 74; Brier 1980: fig. 16.
Two sets of sheet gold ornaments (24-9); see pp. i98f Provenance
Standard early provenance. The ornaments are of royal type. A third set is considered modem (230—2).
Previous assessment
Winlock wrote that none of the falcon collars and vulture “pectorals” bore signs of having touched a body (1948: 43f), and that two bandage amulets “had been very badly dented and cmmpled before we saw them and required ironing out” (presumably 26, 29). Museum accession cards state that none were cleaned except for 26.
C. Williams classified the items as vulture headdresses (MMA notes); she was probably thinking of the item on the mummy in KV 5 5 that, however, had a means of attachment.
Current understanding
Parures of gold sheet occur first in early Middle Kingdom burials, and, on Tutankhamun’s mummy, falcon collars, vulture collars, and bandage amulets were the complement of heart scarabs, necklets, sandals, and stalls (Carter 1927: pis. 30, 35a). It is thus clear that the sets below were also used on mummies, despite the fact that they may not have had bitumen staining or cloth impressions when acquired. This usage applies even to the vulture breastplates, which, with straight rather than curved wings, have the shape more of coffin decoration than of a collar, and furthermore have no holes or rings for attachment. In these two features the vultures are apparently unique (Winlock’s comparison with Tutankhamun’s vulture collars to the contrary 1948: 43f); they must—according to size, thickness, and flexibility—have simply been wrapped within the mummy bandages. Tutankhamun’s tomb did yield parallels for a vulture facing the viewer’s left (Carter 256e [Carter 1927: pi. 79b, top] and 256mmm [loc. cit., pi. 8ob]).
The earliest extant examples of the sheet broad collar with falcon head terminals are from the royal tombs at Byblos. These items no doubt followed Egyptian style, albeit at half size (Montet 1929: nos. 619—22). Tutankhamun had four inlaid collars comparable in shape (Carter 256i [i, 2] and aa [i, 2]; see Carter 1927: pi. 8ia), one of which had suspension rings on the back of the head (Carter 256i [i], 1927: pi. 8ia [left]). Tutankhamun’s mummy also yielded a good parallel for the bandage amulets below. Carter 256c (Carter 1927: pi. 83a [lower left]).
The three sets acquired by the MMA—each comprised of falcon collar, vulture breastplate, and bandage amulet—differ in physical properties and iconography. The nine items of this type were studied extensively, as there were no detailed records of previous treatment and as the possibility of forgery existed for all items previously associated with the tomb.
Technical, iconographic, and stylistic studies reinforced the discreteness of three sets, and a renewed effort with compositional analyses during 2000 confirmed the divisions clearly (Appendix 2, 24-9, 230—2). Reddish surfaces were noted on many of the items; in one case (vulture 25) the surface was analyzed as silver-gold sulfide (this is not a sign of age). In the end, one of the three sets was considered modem (230—2), differing markedly from the other two sets.
The most telling technical information came from the comparative study of excavated gold work by means of low-power magnification. This analysis indicated that authenticity was proportional to the variety of techniques and tools used. For example, the X ray of the highest quality falcon collar (24) showed considerable beating and annealing, and the microscope made clear that a variety of tools had been used in a traditional manner, that edges were neatly folded, that the chased detail was naturalistic, and that there were convincing signs of wear. Vulture 25 had ancient reinforcements, as did the other accepted vulture, 28. All these features were documented on excavated pieces, particularly those of Tutankhamun.
The medium-quality set showed less fluent draftsmanship than the first set, as well as shorter lines and lines less skillfully adjusted to contours.
24 Highest-quality falcon collar
Fig. no
MMA 26.8.101 (P 105).
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1920.
Material Gold sheet (see Appendix 2).
Dimensions Maximum W (roughly at midpoint of cylinder beads) 34.0, Th 0.105-.14 mm.
Manufacture X rays show hammering; delamination on back surface. Almost all edges folded under; ghost lines on back, of varying depth. At top of each falcon head, a strip braised to front surface that loops backward to form a means of suspension. Design comprised of five rows of cylinder beads separated by parallel lines and terminated by drop pendants; detail finely executed in respousse and chasing; stepping marks near beak.
Condition Not cleaned, according to accession cards; crumpled. Red gold patches especially on upper surface, with fingerprint and cloth impressions. Back side of loops tom away but loops complete; smaller tears around neckline and outer coUar edges.
Bibliography Winlock 1948: pi. 24 (bottom); Hayes 1959b: 137, fig. 74; Galerie des Beaux-Arts 1981: no. 7; Brier 1980: fig. 16; Metropolitan Museum of Art 1983: no. 30.
25 Highest-quality vulture breastplate
Fig. 108
MMA 26.8.104 (P 108).
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1920.
Material Gold sheet (see Appendix 2).
Dimensions Maximum W 41.5, Th 0.13—.38 mm.
Manufacture X rays show hammering, with body
Thicker than wings. Edge along top of object folded back. Top side of extra long wings depicted; legs and feathers adjacent to them highly detailed; feathering on back of head indicated. Several tools used to create design; upper row of round-tipped, covert feathers of thicker and deeper lines than the lines dividing feathers in bottom row. Ghost lines on back vary in depth. Legs have separate reinforcing strips on back.
Condition Museum records state never cleaned. Considerable red gold on front and back analyzed by wet chemistry (Frantz and Schorsch 1990: 148, 150). Impressions of cloth on back of both wings, and fingerprints. Right leg torn but not separated; neck break repaired with gold solder, probably modern. Organic residue on back.
Bibliography Winlock 1948: pi. 25 (bottom); Hayes 1959b: 137, fig. 74; Metropolitan Museum of Art 1973: 94f; Brier 1980: fig. 16.
26 Highest-quality bandage amulet
Fig. 112 (left)
MMA 26.8.107 (P 152).
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1921.
Material Gold sheet (see Appendix 2).
Dimensions W 11.6, Th 0.075 mm.
Manufacture X rays show extensive hammering. All edges neatly folded.
Condition Flattened after crumpling (Winlock 1948: 43).
Bibliography Winlock 1948: pi. 23b (left); Brier 1980: fig. 16.
27 Medium-quality falcon collar
Fig. Ill
MMA 26.8.102 (P 106).
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1920.
Material Gold sheet (see Appendix 2).
Dimensions Maximum W (at top of cylinder beads) 32.0, Th 0.14—0.17 mm.
Manufacture Basic scheme as 24, but with more open shape. Gold thickness quite even, moderate amount of hammering; more pliable than 24. Only the edge along top of heads folded back. Detail much more summary than 24; tear drop with crescent on back of falcon’s head appears on right head but not on left. Ghost lines on back rather even.
Condition Crumpled; one of suspension rings at back of head tom off. Not cleaned, according to Museum records, but modem mechanical cleaning evident on front. Gold more red on back than front; impressions of cloth on front.
Bibliography Winlock 1948: pi. 24 (center).
28 Medium-quality vulture breastplate
Fig. 109
MMA 26.8.105 (P 5b).
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1919.
Material Gold sheet (see Appendix 2).
Dimensions Maximum W 37.3, Th 0.10—0.13 mm.
Design Vulture again faces viewer’s left. Proportionally smaller than 25, the spread of wings horizontal rather than flared upward, the underside rather than top side of wings depicted; shen-sigas touch wings.
Manufacture Less hammer work than on 24. Only edge of tail feathers slightly turned under.
Condition Never cleaned, according to Museum records, but directional burnishing on back judged modem. Tear in left wing; ancient repair with square gold pieces (coupons) on back along top. Red gold on front and back; pattern of cloth clear on front.
Bibliography Winlock 1948; pi. 25 (top).
29 Medium-quality bandage amulet
Fig. 112 (right)
MMA 26.8.108 (P no).
Source Purchase, Fletcher Fund, 1920.
Material Gold sheet (see Appendix 2).
Dimensions W 10.3, Th 0.13 mm.
Manufacture Edges slightly rough; some delamination; directional burnishing.
Condition Not cleaned, according to Museum records; ancient resin on one side. Flattened because of denting and cmmpling (Winlock 1948: 43).
Bibliography Winlock 1948: pi. 23b (center).
World History
