Monday, September 23, 2019

Box with Butterflies

In 1925 it was found like this near the Great Pyramid of Giza, Cairo, Egypt:

After reconstruction of the jewel box:
In color:

These objects are silver bracelets from Queen Hetepheres I (around  2600 BC) inlaid with turquoise, lapis lazuli and carnelian in the form of a butterfly. More details of  'G 7000X' at Digital Giza: here and here.

Wondering:
  • Are all bracelets identical? 
  • Why does someone want to have 20 identical bracelets? (Assuming that all two rows are full.)
  • Did the bracelets belong to one person? For her use only?
  • Did Hetepheres I - her mummie is missing - wear the four missing bracelets?
  • What did the Ancient Egyptians "read" when they "saw" - mark that we have more senses - an butterfly? According to Haynes in 'The Symbolism and Significance of the Butterfly in Ancient Egypt' (Stellenbosch University 2013): freedom, re-birth and safe passage to the after-life. Source: here.
I found these on The Internet. They don't look like the originals. Copies? 

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