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Appearance was extremely important to the ancient Egyptians. Most people; men and women wore jewellery. Gold and silver jewellery was worn by the rich whilst the poor used copper.
Makeup was also worn by both men and women. Like us today, they had cosmetic cases which they would carry around with them. Eye paint was the most common makeup.
In Egypt, the weather was very hot so most people wore white lined garments which reflected the sun. Men wore kilts and women wore a straight dress. Slaves and servants would wear patterned fabrics.
Makeup was also worn by both men and women. Like us today, they had cosmetic cases which they would carry around with them. Eye paint was the most common makeup.
In Egypt, the weather was very hot so most people wore white lined garments which reflected the sun. Men wore kilts and women wore a straight dress. Slaves and servants would wear patterned fabrics.
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In the earliest times, flax provided linen for clothes for everyone in ancient Egypt. The earliest picture of a loom in Egypt is on a pottery bowl dated to c. 3000B.C. and flax was used for thousands of years after this. A pharaoh would have exceptionally fine linen; workers wore clothes of coarser fabric. They had clever ways of avoiding wear on linen clothes- soldiers would cover the rear of their kilts with leather netting; domestic servants wore nets of cheap but colourful beads over their dresses. The basic courtier's kilt consisted of a linen cloth wrapped around the waist and secured by a knot- often elaborately tied. Gradually cloaks developed for use as overgarments. Women wore long, sheath-like dresses often with beautifully pleated cloaks. However, we still do not know how the Egyptians got pleats into their clothes- perhaps it involved a board with a grooved surface. The amount of pleats might also be exaggerated in statues. The Egyptians learn how to die their clothes in coloured patterns from the Middle East, but the technique was never widespread.
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There was the glint of gold in all Egyptian jewellery which were found in mines between the Nile and the Read Sea coast which had large quantities of this great metal. The gold could either be beaten into shape, or cast in moulds. Granulation was a method in which tiny granules of gold were attached to an object by soldering. This was used for patterns by goldsmiths. Egyptian jewellers had access to many semi-precious stones from the deserts, but they also imported stones. The had stones from the light blue turquoise and the rich blue lapis lazuli. However, Egyptian jewellers had no knowledge of stones like diamonds, emeralds or rubies.
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The Egyptians loved fashion and beauty. The goddess of adornment was "Hathor the Golden" who was seen as the ideal of beauty at the time. Both Egyptian men and women used eye paint (as previously mentioned). This was made from minerals ground on fine slate palettes. They went to great lengths in adorning themselves with cosmetics, wigs, floral garlands, and fine linen. Many objects like combs, mirrors, and cosmetic holders have survived to show how important their personal appearance was to them. They all showed off, and tried to outdo each other with their amazing appearance.