The Greek historian, Herodotus, in the fifth century B.C. wrote that the Egyptians only let the hair of their head grow in mourning, being at all other times shaved.
But they loved their wigs.
Today, most people wearing a wig, or even just hair extensions, go to great lengths to make sure it looks natural. The ancient Egyptians however, couldn’t be more different. To them, a fine wig was something to proudly show off; a mark of social standing and a must-have for social occasions.
It was common for Egyptian women to wear long, heavy wigs that were full of braids. Sometimes plant fibres even used for padding underneath to make the wig appear fuller and thicker.
Women always wore their hair longer than men – at least to their shoulders, but often trailing a foot or more (30 centimetres) down their backs.
Just like today, fashions change, so this wig can be approximately dated to the 18th Dynasty, between 1,550 and 1,300 B.C. It was the proud headpiece of a Theban woman who wanted to enjoy her glorious wig in the afterlife, and so had it buried with her in her tomb.
The wig is in two parts: a mass of naturally curly hair on top of several hundred thin plaits, all held together with bees wax and resin. Interestingly the hair is lighter than the almost pure black that is shown in tomb paintings.
It is now on show as part of the ‘8 Mummies’ exhibition at the British Museum. Due to its fragility, this is the first time it has been on display in 25 years. The exhibition closes on 19th April.
