Fun with Beads: Ancient Egypt Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a good piece to start with if your interested learning about Ancient Egyptian bead and necklace making. The pieces are mock ups of the real thing and suffer from size distorsions, but other than that a nobel attempt to duplicate in its own way the items of Ancient Egypt. A small booklet that comes with it is packed full of information and the how-tos.

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Jewels of the Pharaohs: Egyptian Jewelry of the Dynastic Period Review

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(More customer reviews)I have always been interested in ancient Egypt but this book focused on the jewelry, which I had only read about in general terms.
In the section about the recovery of ancient Egyptian jewelry, the author talked about how discoveries are more often made by accident than by a deliberate, planned search. Many treasures have been dispersed all over the world because of being found by private persons.
Materials were selected for their color rather than for their "refractive powers, brilliance, or rarity."
Next the author discussed the uses of jewelry in ancient Egypt. Jewelry was used for personal adornment of men as much as for women, and used in burials, for the shrines of the gods, and as temple furnishings. The most common use of jewelry was as amulets - to protect the wearers from harm.
The materials used by craftsmen to make jewelry in ancient Egypt were shells, horns, tusks, claws, stones, and gold. Some of the most popular stones were carnellian, lapis lazuli, and turquoise (very different from the veiny turquoise we see here in the U.S).
A very informative book.

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Beaded Collars: 10 Decorative Neckpieces Built with Ladder Stitch Review

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(More customer reviews)I've greatly admired Julia Pretl's fantastic collars and pre-ordered this book. I hope that Julia considers putting out an advanced version - because I'd hoped to learn how she incorporated bead embroidered pieces into her collars and didn't find any reference to that here. Still, I give her book full marks as a reference and learning tool. The information is clear, the illustrations second-to-none and the projects are interesting. Although the concept of the collars is simple - learning how to construct and use a template, how to use one or two needle methods and her many tips are invaluable. I know I'll enjoy teaching myself her methods. Next book - my wish list is some additional embellishment techniques and a gallery section, but for now - I feel I more than got my money's worth from this excellent book.

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There is no other book on the market that presents broadcollar projects for beaders-a traditional form.
Julia S. Pretl, author of Little Bead Boxes and Bead Knitted Bags, has created a collection of beaded neckpieces, inspired by broadcollars, the dramatic jewelry worn by the ancient Egyptians and a well-known form among beadworkers. She has adapted the traditional form-a broad, beaded necklace-to create ten original designs for the modern beadworker, with skill levels ranging from beginner to more advanced.
With step-by-step illustrations and easy-to-follow patterns, Julia leads the reader through the techniques for creating the stitched "ladderö -the basic unit that is combined and joined in various ways to create each of the unique designs. She also teaches readers how to build a custom-sized template, choose a color palette, and create decorative fringe, layers, pendants, and netting to add the finishing touch. The introductory chapters present the basic beading and assembly techniques, illustrated with clear, digitally rendered, and color-coded drawings. Four-color photographs of each of the 10 designs and 10 detail photos illustrate each project.

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Amulets of Ancient Egypt Review

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(More customer reviews)I had the pleasure of hearing the author lecture at an Egyptian conference at the Brooklyn Museum a few years ago. Her fascinatiing text and brilliant slides lose none of their impact as they find their way into print in this handsome little book. Some of Ancient Egypt's most beautiful and magical objects are the smallest in size, as evidenced by the amulets shown here by Ms. Andrews. Required reading for all Egypto-philes!

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Amulets are ornaments believed to endow the wearer by magical means with the properties they represent. They were first made in Egypt as early as 4000 BC and were essential adornments for both the living and the dead. Crafted from gold and silver, semiprecious stones, and less valuable materials, they are fine examples of Egyptian art as well as a vital source of evidence for religious beliefs. In this book, Carol Andrews offers the first comprehensive account of the types of amulets made, their symbolism, and their protective powers. An amuletic foot could be worn to ensure fleetness of foot, a hand for dexterity. The desert-dwelling hare symbolized keenness of the senses, and the hedgehog, which hibernated and survived outside the fertile valley, held connotations of rebirth and triumph over death itself. The ubiquitous amulet in the shape of the dung beetle, known as a scarab, was symbolic of new life. Amulets in the image of powerful gods would be worn for protection, and malevolent creatures, like the male hippopotamus, would be worn to ward off the evil they represented. Both a reference book and an informative account of Egyptian magical belief, this is the most complete survey of the subject to date.

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Ancient Egyptian Jewelry Review

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(More customer reviews)I happened upon this book while visiting the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, and it is well worth every penny. Copious full color photographs illustrate the many types of jewelry worn by the Ancient Egyptians, both in life and as funerary pieces. Manufacturing techniques are also discussed somewhat, and the Egyptian names for items are also provided. This superb reference is not only a great replacement for the out-of-print "Jewels of the Pharaohs" by Cyril Aldred, it surpasses this earlier work by providing much more detail and information.

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