El Menat

The Menat Necklace Another important article of jewellery was the menat collar or necklace which first appeared in the Old Kingdom worn by Nebet and Sesheseshet, both priestesses of Hathor. There were two kinds of menat necklaces in Ancient Egypt. The first kind was a collar consisting of many strings of small beads that were collected up and threaded through two or more circular beads. The second type is the same, except for an addition of a single or double “counterpoise.” This sometimes ended narrowly, often with an image of the goddess Hathor depicted on the end. It was also associated with music (Wilkinson 1971: 68).The exact historical significance of this collar is unknown. It was widely associated with the goddess Hathor, priesthood, music and funerary cults. The first appearance of this collar was from the Old Kingdom worn by two priestesses of Hathor. The Ihwey male dancers, who were associated with Hathor, were also always depicted wearing or holding the collars. The collar was often depicted along with sistra; thus it was probably used as a kind of rattle. Menats were a part of the funerary jewellery represented on the walls of tombs, coffins and funerary stelae, as well as being given to the deceased as a gift. This is mainly because the menats were considered to have the same life-giving properties as an ankh (Wilkinson 1971: 69).The menat was depicted and has appeared in many different places throughout Ancient Egypt due to the many meanings it evokes. In the XIIth dynasty, King Amenemhat III was depicted wearing a menat collar as a part of a priestly costume he once wore. In the Middle Kingdom, male dancers were illustrated in tombs wearing a menat collar as they performed rituals for the dead. In one depiction, the male dancers held menats in their hands, as well as around their necks, with the accompanying inscription saying that they are offering menats to the goddess Hathor, so she could protect the spirit of the deceased, as well as granting him a long life and demolishing his enemies. Moreover, girls who appeared in the funeral procession of Queen Nofru wore this collar. Menats were also found on female funerary statuettes. Menats were a part of the performance of several rituals. Goddess Hathor performed Sed-jubilee ritual for King Amenemhat III, as well as XVIIIth and XIXth dynasty pharaohs. In the famous literary text of Sinuhe, the daughters of the king who greeted him held out menat necklaces to him. In the new Kingdom, several gods were associated with the menat collars, most notably Khons and Osiris (Wilkinson 1971: 69). Jewellery obviously played a large part in the development of the Ancient Egyptian Culture, as well as being associated with purposes other than mere decoration. Jewellery was an important Ancient Egyptian element that had many purposes. Ancient Egyptians excelled at jewellery making, often because the jewellery is associated with gods, so the craftsmen fear is they do not do their best they will be punished by the deity whom this piece is dedicated to.http://www.arabworldbooks.com/egyptomania/jewels.htm