Egyptian Rosettes (c. 1479 – 1425 BCE)
Archaeologists unearthing the tombs of Thutmose III uncovered a curious bundle. Shockingly intact, small rosettes accompanied the funerary items of the Pharaoh’s three foreign-born wives, Menwi, Merti, Menhet. But nobody really knew exactly what they were used for. Were they used as ornamentation on clothing? Or were they part of a headdress that would be draped over a wig?
Did they have meaning, or were they merely a fashion accessory? The rosettes have been displayed in many different ways since the Metropolitan Museum of Art acquired them in 1926. In 1937, Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1932 – 1939) and Egyptologist Herbert E. Winlock suggested they might have been attached to a headpiece plate as part of a decorated wig, resulting in this design. The design has been modified over time, as nobody can say for certain whether these rosettes were used as a hair ornament.
