In modern times, if you have to wear a wig, you want it to look as natural as possible. Unless you are a judge or a pop-star.
In ancient Egypt it was just the opposite. If you were wearing a wig, you wanted to make sure everyone knew it. Why hide the fact, when sporting a full, luxurious hair piece said a lot about your wealth.
Wig-envy must have been a real issue for Egypt's nobles. Wigs weren't just a hair loss solution, they were a fashion statement and status symbol.
Those who could afford wigs sported showy, shiny affairs, perfumed and decorated with jewels and flowers. And the best way of showing that you are wearing a wig was to reveal a little of your original hairline underneath, such as with this New Kingdom statue of a noble woman.
This wig consists of fine, wavy strands of hair that are twisted together into thick coils. You can see her natural hair shaped into a crescent over her eyebrow. A garland of flower petals and roundels encircle her brow.
In ancient Egypt's New Kingdom, a large, elaborate wig was an absolute must for social occasions. In general they were made using human hair, although sometimes plant fibres were used underneath for padding to produce a wig that appeared to be more full and thick. A long, heavy wig gave women a more sensual appearance.
Men also proudly wore wigs. Although theirs were generally shorter than the women's, the styling could often be far more complex.
The cuts and curls of wigs were held in place with beeswax. As Egyptologist, Bob Brier, says, "patting an Egyptian head would have felt like rubbing a large, warm crayon."
This sculpture, from the early post-Amarna period (ca. 1300 BC), is now in the collection of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois.
Photo: Anne Petersen