Use of animal motifs in Egyptian jewelry

Jewelry crafting became an established industry in ancient Egypt about 3,000 to 5,000 years ago (1000 to 3000 B.C.) They worked with gold and silver and discovered the techniques and processes of ornamenting metal that are still employed today. They produced engraved and inlaid jewelry, inlaid with semi-precious stones such as lapis lazuli, turquoise, amethyst, carnelian and jasper. The types of jewelry produced included diadems, collars, necklaces, bracelets and rings. Common jewelry motifs used were animal motifs such as the scarab (beetle), falcon, serpent, the eye and plant motifs like the lotus, derived from religious symbols. In ancient Egypt, jewelry became the symbol of both religious and secular power, and the jewelry workshops were attached to the temples and palaces. The jewelry of the royalty and the wealthy, were used to adorn the mummified bodies after their death, and were placed inside their coffins as grave goods. Vast quantities of jewelry of different designs have been unearthed from the tombs of the Pharaohs, and those recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamen of the 18th dynasty, who reigned between 1333-1323 B.C. are now displayed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Queen Ahhotep of the 18th or 19th dynasty also had a collection of jewels dating from the 16th century B.C. considered as one of the richest treasures in the world.

ere is my African Symbols Box. This collectible box measures 6" wide and 5" deep and 4 1/4" tall. This box has a top that opens easily by way of a hinge revealing the contents you decide are the treasures to store inside. It has metalic copper painted feet and co-ordinating fringe. Inside, the bottom is lined with sultry black velvet. Emblazoned with great tribal and adrinka symbols. A very unusal box for me to make, but one I really like.

One day before Valentine's Day, the first farmer-owned and fair-trade chocolate company announced the launch of its U.S. sister company. Divine Chocolate, a U.K. based company formerly known as The Day Chocolate Company, makes its debut in the U.S. in partnership with Lutheran World Relief (LWR), a non-profit development agency.

The announcement made at a Capitol Hill briefing, sponsored by Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ), Chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, was coupled with a discussion about the benefits of fair trade and farmer ownership.

Comfort Kumeah was among those representing the company at the briefing. Kumeah is a 55-year-old mother of five, teacher, and member of the Ghanaian farm collective that grows the cocoa used to make Divine Chocolate. Kumeah knows first hand the journey of chocolate from bean to bar. As a member of Kuapa Kokoo, she is involved in all aspects of chocolate production, from cutting the cocoa pods from the tree and scraping the bean from the pod, to fermenting, drying, weighing, and preparing the cocoa for export.

Most fair trade arrangements provide growers like Kumeah with a living wage in addition to premiums that villages use to improve their standard of living. Unlike most fair trade arrangements, Kumeah's involvement does not stop there.

In 1997, some Ghanaian cocoa farmers voted to change the chocolate industry forever by establishing their own fair trade chocolate company, now called Divine Chocolate. By joining together in the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa growers' cooperative, the farmers acquired a voice in the operation and future of their company. Kumeah is one of 2,000 Kuapa Kokoo farmers chosen to represent their farm village at Divine Chocolate's annual meetings.

Model Number- R835b
Symbols- Mtu Ntr (Hieroglyphic letters) within a Shenu.
Description- This large Africa map ring has a Shenu (cartouche) which contains the word "Afraka" in Mtu Ntr (Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics).
Metals- Sterling Silver
Stones- None
*Inquire about our prices for this design with other metals.
Dimensions- 1.5 in. lo

Africa Rising - African Symbols

African Symbols overlay Ring.JPG (33016 bytes)
http://www.africangold.co.za/AfricaRising.htm

Symbology

Adinkra symbols were first used as decorative elements in one of the most highly valued, hand-printed and hand-embroidered cloths of West Africa. The fabrics' origin is traced to the Asante of Ghana and the Gyaman of Cote' d'lvoire (Ivory Coast). However, the production and use of Adinkra cloth has come to be more associated with the Asante than any other ethnic group. Around the 19th Century, the Asante developed their unique art of printing Adinkra cloth. Traditionally, the cloth was used exclusively by royalty and spiritual leaders for very important sacred ceremonies and rituals. The printing process entails stamping one symbol at a time onto large sheets of cotton cloth. The stamps are cut from pieces of calabash and the dye, Adinkera aduru, is prepared by boiling the bark of Badie together with iron slag. Originally the Adinkra cloth was printed on the ground, however today raised platforms with sack coverings act as the printing table. In addition to its traditional sacred usage, today Adinkra cloth is also used to make clothing for such special occasions as festivals, church-going, weddings, naming ceremonies and initiation rites.