Necklace Spacer

Throughout Egyptian history, Kush was fabled for its gold and other resources. Despite the small size of this necklace spacer, it demonstrates well the master craftsmanship of Kushite artisans. Each side has seven holes, through which as many strands of a necklace were threaded to prevent them from tangling. The owner may have been the Kushite king Aramatelqo or one of his courtiers. Aramatelqo was one of the Kushite kings who never ruled Egypt and yet adopted much of Egyptian culture. The inscription is in hieroglyphs; Aramatelqo's names are in cartouches, and the grammar and the phraseology are completely Egyptian. On one side, the inscription reads, "Son of Re, the lord of diadems, Aramatelqo, living forever, beloved of Hathor, lady of Heliopolis, mistress of the gods, given/giver of life." The text on the other side reads, "The king of Upper and Lower Egypt, Wadjkare, living forever, beloved of Re-Horakhty, the great god, the lord of heaven, given/giver of life forever. "