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Personal Appearance
Hair
The Egyptians were very concerned with their personal appearance, and their hair proved no exception. Evidence of hair care and hairstyles is provided by wigs, inscriptions, tomb scenes, and statuary. As part of their routine to ensure cleanliness, many men and women used copper or bronze razors to shave their heads. The upper and middle classes wore wigs when they went outdoors to provide protection against the sun, and also when they attended social functions. Some were made entirely of real hair and others had hair mixed with vegetable fibers. Sometimes, they were worn even if the owner retained his own hair. According to the medical papyri, there were prescriptions to prevent baldness and to remedy grayness, but these were ineffectual. One ointment made of juniper berries and other berries was recommended as an antidote to graying hair, and chopped lettuce, placed on a bald patch, was suggested as a cure for hair loss. To augment the natural hair on mummies, false plaits were woven into the real tresses. The dead were also equipped with wigs that were stored in boxes and kept in the tombs for use in the next world. During the Old Kingdom men and women wore simple, short hairstyles, but there were many variations, and by the New Kingdom both sexes had longer hair, and flowers and ribbons were used as accessories. Priests, however, were required to remove all bodily hair in order to be ritually “pure” when they came into contact with the god’s statue and his possessions. Children’s heads were also shaved, although the “sidelock of youth” (one strand left at the side of the head) was worn until the age of puberty. . Cosmetics and Perfumes Cosmetics were used by both sexes, initially to protect the skin against the harshness of Egypt’s sunny, dry climate. Recipes have been found for removing spots and wrinkles and for improving the appearance of the skin. Toilet boxes and equipment have survived containing bronze or copper mirrors (highly effective when polished), combs, tweezers, ointment spoons (for pouring oils over the body), and pots and boxes for cosmetics. Plant products were used for cosmetics and perfumes. The Egyptians were famous for their perfumes. One such perfume, The Egyptian, was made in the city of Mendes and exported to Rome. It had a long shelf life, and one perfumier in Greece kept a supply in his shop for eight years. It was also reputed to last well on the skin. To produce another famous perfumed ointment called Oil of Lilies, a thousand Madonna lilies were used for each batch; a constant supply was grown in special enclosed gardens. People also wore wax cones, scented with herbs and spices, on their wigs when they attended parties; the cones would melt in the course of the evening and give forth a pleasant odor. Air fragrances were produced, including the famous “Kyphi,” which was an oil free and fat free scent based on wine, raisins, and aromatic herbs. The recipe for this temple purifier was found engraved on the temple walls at Edfu and Philae and was repeated later in works of Classical writers. Fumigation pellets were also used to improve or at least mask household and clothing odors, as well as to freshen the breath, following the daily example of the gods. Unfortunately, the smells of these perfumes and ointments have not survived in the residues found in the tombs because of chemical changes that have occurred in the fatty substances. The Egyptians were greatly concerned with personal hygiene. Body and facial hair was removed with razors, tweezers, or depilatory creams. It was customary to apply a deodorant by rubbing ground carob into the skin. Facial cleansing creams were used such as the oil and lime mixture found in two jars among the tomb contents belonging to three queens of Tuthmosis III. A recommended antiwrinkle cream consisted of a mixture of frankincense, moringa oil, grass, and fermented fruit juice and was to be applied daily. The Egyptians used two kinds of eye paint: Malachite (green ore of copper) and galena (dark gray ore of lead) were ground on palettes, mixed with ointment, and applied to the eyes. Eye makeup equipment was found in the earliest burials of the Predynastic Period and was obviously considered an essential accessory for the afterlife. Eye paint was probably originally regarded as a protection against the glare of the sun and the dust. Kohl was kept in small stone jars or in faience, stone, or wooden tubes and applied with a kohl stick (bulbous at one end) to outline the shape of the eye. Red ocher was used both as rouge and, mixed with oil or fat, as a lip gloss. Henna was applied to hair, feet, hands, and nails. From the evidence of the mummies, the feet and hands of the upper classes were carefully pedicured and manicured. . Clothing The Egyptians generally used linen for their garments and mummy bandages. Wool was also worn but has been found less frequently because it was forbidden to include clothing made from animal products among the tomb goods. Linen was produced in several regions of the ancient world, but the finest quality was found in Egypt. Although it was traditional to wear white linen, dyes such as safflower, madder, and acacia were used to provide yellow, red, and blue cloth. Men are frequently shown with a short kilt that reached the knee; made from fine, stiffened linen, this was generally a luxury item worn only by the wealthiest classes. Women often wore a sheath dress of almost transparent linen, but occasionally model statues of servant girls show them wearing dresses of geometric patterned, multicolored textiles. In the Old Kingdom the garments worn by men and women are simple, and there is no great variation between the classes, but in the New Kingdom the upper classes are represented in tomb paintings and statuary in elaborate, fulllength costumes. These have fine pleating and often incorporate one almost transparent tunic over another garment. The most common footwear was a pair of sandals, made of rush or papyrus, but there were also leather shoes, and an example of a fur-lined boot was discovered at the pyramid workmen’s town of Kahun. Peasants wore simple linen clothes men working in the fields are shown in loincloths while women were barely clad in simple linen dresses. Children went naked until puberty. Some professions and trades had official robes or distinctive garments associated with their work. By the Greco-Roman Period styles changed and were strongly influenced by Hellenistic and Roman fashion. At first these new styles were worn only by the foreign upper classes, but eventually some Egyptians also adopted them. . Jewelry From earliest times the Egyptians adorned themselves with jewelry. The gods received clothing and jewelry every day when the priests performed the rituals for the divine statue in the temple sanctuary, and humans also felt the need to protect and decorate themselves with jewelry. It was worn by both the living and the dead and was believed to fulfill a number of functions. Magical charms (amulets) were used to protect the wearer (when alive or after death, on the mummy) against mysterious hostile forces such as wild animals, disease, accidents, and natural disasters. Sometimes, the charm was made in the shape of a limb so that if the owner had suffered an accident or injury to this part of the body, the substitute would attract good spirits who could cure this affliction. The forms of the amulets, representing sacred symbols such scarabs, the Eye of Horus, or the ankh (sign of life), were believed to provide magical protection, but also the materials from which the jewelry was made conveyed their own hidden powers. These materials included metals and gem stones and also shells, seeds, bone, and flowers. Apart from the most important purpose of protecting the wearer, jewelry was also an indication of status and wealth or represented royal honors given to mark service or valor. Archaeological discoveries of royal jewelry, such as the treasure of the Middle Kingdom queens and princesses at Dahshur and Lahun, the contents of Tutankhamun’s tomb at Thebes, and the wealth of objects found at Tanis, indicate the quality of the jeweler’s craftmanship; in some instances, it cannot be equaled today. Wealthy Egyptians enjoyed a sophisticated lifestyle that was reflected in the care and effort they devoted to their personal appearance, and even the poorer classes wore simple jewelry to adorn and protect themselves. .
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Personal Appearance
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