Egypt Museum

ancient egyptian hair

A false fringe of human hair in pin curl ringlet style. Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford. 1901.40.56

A false fringe of human hair in pin curl ringlet style

A false fringe of human hair in pin curl ringlet styleEarly Dynastic Period, 1st Dynasty,Excavated by Sir Flinders Petrie from the tomb of king Djer (also known as Zer or Sekhty), Tomb O, Umm el-Qa’ab, Abydos, Egypt. Wigs were composed of various materials such as human hair, wool, plant fibers, and horsehair. The most expensive...

Ancient Egyptian Nobleman

This exquisitely carved relief captures an unknown nobleman at the height of the New Kingdom, his profile rendered with soft confidence, the aquiline nose, the gently defined lips, the serene, almost introspective expression. Yet it is the magnificent wig that commands all attention: a cascade of meticulously incised strands, tiered and textured with astonishing precision,...