A Victorian Bracelet set with five ancient Egyptian Lapis Lazuli Scaraboids, 18th Dynasty, ca 1550 - 1295 BCE

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 at 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 Musuem 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.