Egyptian Cartouche Dangle Earrings from Tomb of Ramses II

A King's Name in Gold: Egyptian Cartouche Earrings

A slim gold oval hangs from each ear, tied at the base like a loop of rope. Inside it, a row of hieroglyphs spells a pharaoh's name. These Egyptian cartouche earrings are 1.5 in long and a quarter inch wide.

The Ramses II earrings copy a cartouche from the king's tomb. It reads Ra messu meri Amen, meaning Pharaoh Ramses, beloved of the god Amen.

Product Details

• Material: 24K antique gold plate over pewter
• Dimensions: 1.5 in H x 0.25 in W each
• Product number: 6539
• Style: Hieroglyph dangle earrings
• Origin: Made in USA

Why the Name Gets a Loop

A cartouche is an oval of rope that circles a royal name. It marked the name as special. Egyptians wrote the names of kings inside it.

Ramses II ruled in the 19th Dynasty, about 1279 to 1213 BC. His name appears on temples across Egypt. Pharaoh name earrings in a cartouche are as close as jewelry gets to his signature.

Reading Hieroglyphs

Egyptian art was meant to be read. Each picture could stand for a sound or an idea. The message was part of the composition.

In 1922 Howard Carter found the tomb of Tutankhamun, and its objects brought new light on Egyptian art. To wear hieroglyph dangle earrings is to wear a sentence.

Wearing and Display

Wear the Egyptian cartouche earrings with hair up or tucked back. Keep them dry and wipe them with a soft cloth. Store the pair flat.

Ramses II earrings suit a simple dress. See more in our Egyptian Museum Replicas and Museum Jewelry Earrings. Pharaoh name earrings make a strong, quiet statement.

About Ramses II

Ramses II is often called Ramses the Great. He ruled for about sixty-six years. He built Abu Simbel and put his name on temples across Egypt. Ramses II earrings and other pharaoh name earrings borrow that habit of signing in stone. Hieroglyph dangle earrings put it at the ear.

For More Reading from the Web

• See Ramses II's name in a stylized cartouche on the underside of a small scarab. The Egyptian cartouche earrings use the same oval. Scarab of Ramesses II - The Metropolitan Museum of Art