pendant

During the New Kingdom period (1550–1070 B.C.), glassmaking was refined, resulting in a production of numerous vessels and beads that equaled the high quality of the glass that had been made in Western Asia. Beads were pervasive in Egyptian society, and they were made in all materials. The Egyptians used beads in many contexts, but especially in burials, as part of the adornment of the deceased, and also as a form of protection. Opaque brightly colored glass imitated the stones that the Egyptians often employed in decorative arts. The use of the eye as a motif developed early in Western society as protection against the “evil eye,” which was thought to be cast upon a person by someone who was envious, causing spiritual and physical harm. Wearing the form of an eye was believed to be apotropaic. This pendant is one of the most basic but clearly understood versions of an eye bead, since its entire form is that of an eye. It was made with techniques that were highly developed by Egyptian glassmakers. The loop and the horizontal perforation afforded multiple stringing possibilities, and the bead could be used in concert with other objects. Eye beads persist today, and diverse examples can be found throughout history and within many cultures.