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Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Ancient Egypt

Hello, and I hope this finds all of you healthy and well.


Ancient cultures have always intrigued me. The Ancient Egyptians in particular as they seem to have accomplished so much, at a time we think of as rather primitive compared with all that our species has accomplished over the last couple of hundred years. But in their time they were amazing! And yet, those amazing civilizations fell several times over a period of 2500 years. They were finally conquered by Alexander the Great around 330 BC. One of his generals a decade or two later created a Greek-speaking dynasty. Then in 30 BC, when Cleopatra died, Egypt was annexed by the Roman Empire and their very long and prosperous run as a "super power" of their time ended. It makes me wonder how one reaches such heights, only to let it slip away somehow, into the history books and through the sands of time. I'm sure there are lessons there for us somewhere. 


So that has absolutely nothing to do with earrings! But before I made these earrings I did some reading about cats, and Bastet, in Ancient Egypt. Along the way, I also read through some of the history and the timeline of Ancient Egypt, so that's where all that came from. :) As to Bastet, she was an Ancient Egyptian Goddess, often depicted as half female/half feline. Because of her, cats in general were held in very high esteem. The penalties for injuring or killing a cat were severe. Bastet was revered for different things in different parts of Egypt at different times, from warfare to fertility and childbirth :)

The Ancient Egyptian Cats are made from Yellow Bronze by Robert Gilmore of RobertWGilmore. Such wonderful detail in a thin and light component allows a lot of room to "add to." Ancient Egyptian jewelry often included red, blue and turquoise. And I have seen some including green as well but not as frequently. 

I used really lovely slices of Lapis Lazuli that I purchased from FunkyPrettyBeads. As an aside, I believe that shop is still having a Spring sale; might be just another day or two. 

Using brass-plated tiny-link chain I hung the cats from longer pieces, and the two shorter side pieces hold blue, red and green/turquoise Czech glass beads. The center jump ring is soldered and the three lengths of chain are attached to it. I used oxidized copper wire to wrap the top, along with brass rings, red glass and tiny brass beads. They are lightweight at 0.14 oz and just over 2.5" long. Lots of movement, too. :)

I wanted to mention that I am really enjoying our two newest contributors and their jewelry. Both Lindsay and Meridy create such beautiful pieces, and I always look forward to their posts. I hope you do as well.

Enjoy the day, and the next couple of weeks. I'll see you then. Thank you!

Much Love & Joy to each of you today & every single day!
Norbel

9 comments:

  1. Wow. Your jewelry always reflects the depth of your thought processes. Maybe this explains how you are always coming up with novel new ways to "put things together". I am crazy about how you hung those elements in front of the lapis! Brava.

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  2. Thank you so much, Susan, for your amazing feedback! You encourage me beyond words. If ever there was a time I needed it, now would be that time. Thank you very much.

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  3. I was lucky enough to visit Egypt several years ago and see the Sarcophagus of Tutankhamen in the National Museum in Cairo. I say lucky, because, although things were a little hairy (plenty of armed guards wherever we went)I doubt I would go in the present political climate. Anyway, you totally nailed the colours Norbel - plenty of lapis blue around. And I love being here, thankyou. xx

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  4. Lovely work! Lots of thought has gone into this design and those lapis slices are beautiful!!

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  5. Norbel, you and your designs ROCK!! In case of doubt...please read this again. Those colors and the design itself reflect ancient Egypt perfect.

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  6. These exude such a great vibe without being cheesy or over the top - beautiful bold colors and I love how you've put everything together with an eye for movement! Love them, Norbel!

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  7. Oh my, these are absolutely drop dead gorgeous! I've always loved Egytian-themed designs. It's a fascinating history and their artwork is always so amazing to study. I see your designs on IG and I always love what you come up with. Beautiful original work!

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  8. Such rich colors and textures! They feel at once ancient and modern. Enjoy the day! Erin

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  9. Norbel, they're stunning...the construction, the colors, the way the parts move together (you can tell from just looking at them). I've always loved your work, and you're getting better and better all the time. And thank you for the kind words, sweet friend. I love being here too. Thanks for encouraging me to start participating. :) <3

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