Peter LacovaraJewels of the Nile: Ancient Egyptian Treasures from the Worcester Art Museum

The Worcester Art Museum (WAM) in Massachusetts, USA, holds an internationally important collection of ancient Egyptian jewellery amassed by private collectors Laura and Kingsmill Marrs in the 1920s with the guidance of Howard Carter (pre Tutankhamun fame). A new exhibition opening in June 2022 will highlight some of these masterpieces of craftsmanship, and this beautifully illustrated volume is the official catalogue released ahead of the exhibition’s launch.The volume begins with the requisite brief history of ancient Egypt – illustrated by some of the museum’s iconic pieces – and a short biography of Laura (including a humorous photograph of the faces of Laura and Kingsmill peering out from a replica sphinx and coffin, and some of Carter’s beautiful watercolour paintings bought by the couple). Markowitz then presents an in-depth essay on ancient Egyptian jewellery, featuring colour photographs of some of the best known pieces from collections around the world (including Tutankhamun’s corselet and the pectoral of Sithathoryunet) and some Egyptianising pieces made by Tiffany & Co. Paula Artal-Isbrand also gives an illustrated guide to “conservation, technique and research”.The catalogue itself features beautifully photographed full page images of amulets (including sacred animals, Bes heads, hearts and wadjet eyes); scarabs in a variety of materials – many mounted as modern rings or tie pins; necklaces made from beads of garnet, faience, carnelian, colourful Roman glass and gold; pendants, bracelets and anklets; faience and carnelian finger- rings; cosmetic vessels made from anhydrite, Egyptian alabaster and glass; and a number of funerary pieces including a bronze Late Period cat and a Roman mummy portrait mask. The volume ends with a short study carried out on an ancient Egyptian inscribed stone mounted in a modern metallic brooch surround, a bibliography and a list of additional information for each item.Review by ancientegyptmagazine dot com

I really like this book because it covers so many interesting facts and the description of the various objects is well done! I would recommend it to anyone who wants to broaden their scope of understanding about ancient Egypt!

This book of a current exhibition at the Worcester Art Museum is superbly illustrated. Text is excellent with many new information on technical practices in Egyptian jewelry.