Buying an Ankh

A girl at the counter is buying a silver Ankh. "Where is it from?" she asks.

"Egypt," I say. She nods approval, knowing only that it's OUT THERE, far away. "Is it for good luck?" "Yes," I say, "In ancient Egypt the Ankh is a symbol of eternal existence. The Cartouche and Cobra on it are for protection and the Hieroglyphics are good omen inscriptions." "And the bug on the Ankh?" "It's not just a bug, " I say, "it is a sacred dung-beetle, scarabaeus, or, for short, scarab." (The word beetle brings a smile to her face) "You can see it better on this other pendant." I take out a silver filligree Scarab trying to handle it with due respect. "In ancient Egypt the scarab was considered a symbol of the Sun God, of resurrection and eternal life. The beetles were mummified. Scarab amulets were and still are worn as symbols of new life and good luck." " Mummified!" she sounds surprised. "Yes, cats also."

Her eyes wander to the "Bast" cat pendant. "I love cats," she says. "In Ancient Egypt cats were ranked as sacred animals. The goddess of the Moon and childbirth, Bast, was portrayed as a woman with a cat's head." I know it is not about buying anymore. She wants to know and touch them all-- little silver souvenirs of ancient civilization. And it's not about doing business for me. Its not a store now, but a museum, and we are on a field trip. And just like years ago I am teaching ABCs again, only now it's an Egyptian one. I put a Hieroglyphics pendant on the counter. "This is an Egyptian alphabet. Every character represents a sound. If you use a chart, you can write your name in Ancient Egyptian." She is trying to inscribe her name on a store receipt. "That's more like drawing." "Do they still use it?" she asks, concerned about her Egyptian peers. "No, not any more-- not for many centuries. Actually, this alphabet was so well forgotten that it took historians a long time to decipher it."

I am getting ready to tell her the exciting story of the Rosetta Stone , but her attention is already distracted. "My mom is a dancer. Do you have anything for the dancers? " she asks, changing the topic. "I do." Trying to stay within our "Egyptian lesson" I show her a small intricate pendant showing the details from a larger scene in the famous tomb of Nakht, in Thebes. Three young women, lightly clothed in long flowing dresses, playing harp, lute, and lyre seem to fascinate my young customer. "Egyptians considered dance 'food of the heart'", I share with her my knowledge of the Egyptian dancing tradition. "My mom would love it," she says dreamily. I know, now she's deciding between the Ankh for herself or Dancers for Mom. After a short consideration she goes with the Ankh -- naturally. Modern kids. " I'll talk to Dad about the dancers," she says.

Egyptian Jewelry