Pierre/Famille
A Egyptian Gold & Garnet Necklace, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2040 - 1786 BCE
A Egyptian Gold & Garnet Necklace, Middle Kingdom, ca. 2040 - 1786 BCE
Dimensions: Length: 40.64 cm (16 inches)
Provenance: Acquired in Egypt by Goddard Du Bois (b. 1869 – d. 1925) and Josephine Cook Du Bois (b. 1864 – d. 1961), New York between 1900 and 1907, exhibited Metropolitan Museum of Art (1920-1948), museum number: 803.98 inscribed in red ink on one garnet terminal. Goddard & Josephine Dubois, husband & wife team, took frequent excursions throughout Egypt between 1900-07. They became experts in assessing ancient Egyptian art. They would routinely take their acquisitions to Egyptologist experts of the day for their added approval ( Josephine’s handwritten letters while in Egypt referring to meeting Barsanti). Josephine was particularly proud of her collection of necklaces: she would take the time to find the pendants and stones to create an attractive combination that would match similar examples at the Cairo Museum. Metropolitan Museum in their 1920 Bulletin states regarding her grouping of beads "....out with the purpose of producing the most harmonious & effective combinations of form and color with pleasing results". The collection of necklaces were loaned & exhibited at Metropolitan Museum New York in 1920 to open their Egyptian Jewel Gallery.