Beads & Crowns: Details Which Further Distinguish Upper Egypt From Lower Egypt

The specific beads that are often found on the beaded apron and beaded hip drape distinguish Upper Egyptian pharaohs from Lower Egyptian pharaohs. Upper Egyptian royalty typically donned the lotus flower while Lower Egyptian royalty sported the papyrus. When both style beads occur on the same apron and/or hip drape it shows the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. This is an example of an artist recreation (Patch, Diana Craig. “A “Lower Egyptian” Costume: Its Origin, Development, and Meaning.” Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt (1995), http://www.jstor.org.prox.miracosta.edu/stable/40000833?&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents) of a “unified” beading pattern (Middle Kingdom, Dynasty, early-late 13, ca. 1850–1775 B.C., http://metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/692409). The beads beginning the strands at the top on the left are the lotus and the beads beginning the strands at the top on the right are the papyrus. There are many crowns of Ancient Egypt but probably to two most identifiable ones are those of Upper and Lower Egypt, the hedjet or white crown and the deshret the red crown, respectively. When the crowns are merged into what is known as a double crown (Palette of King Narmer: Reference: symbols of kingship, Narmer, King of Egypt, fl. ca. 3100 B.C., http://library.artstor.org.prox.miracosta.edu/library/iv2.html?parent=true#) this also signals a unification of Upper and Lower Egypt but separate the crowns differentiate the rulers of the two regions.