Insights Into a Translucent Name Bead*
INSIGHTS INTO A TRANSLUCENT NAME BEAD* [PLANCHES XIII-XIV] BY PETER PAMMINGER Institut für Ägyptologie der Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Saarstr. 21 (Campus) D-55099 MAINZ Recently, while visiting a private collection in Belgium, I became aware of a rock- crystal bead of quite distinctive qualities, which might once have belonged to the royal entourage of the 25th dynasty King Piye. The object was acquired not long ago on the art market, unfortunately without any proof of provenance. Its owner was kind enough to grant me permission to publish it. The bead itself (diameter 1.8 to 2.5 cm) has been drilled through (the hole 1.0 to 1.1 cm wide), embodying a sheet of gold in its core. One side of the surface being decorated with a raised cartouche bearing the inscription Mn-Ìpr-R{, the opposite side depicting a vulture1 who is carrying in each claw a symbol of {nÌ. Inbetween these two motives are situated two raised circular dots, each obviously representing a sun-disc (fig. + pl. XIII). * Abbreviations generally in accordance with Helck, W. und W. Westendorf (eds.), Lexikon der Ägyptologie (=LÄ), vol. VII, 1989, p. IX-XXXVIII. In addition: — RMT: Regio Museo di Torino. — Andrews, Jewellery I: C.A.R. Andrews, Jewellery I. From the Earliest Times to the Seventeenth Dynasty. Catalogue of Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum VI, 1981. — Hall, Royal Scarabs: H.R.(H.) Hall, Catalogue of Egyptian Scarabs, etc., in the British Museum. Vol. I: Royal Scarabs, 1913. — Jaeger, OBO SA 2: B. Jaeger, Essai de classification et datation des scarabées Menkhéperrê (OBO SA 2), 1982.
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