On The Origin of The Royal False Beard and its Bovine Symbolism

Abstract

On Predynastic tusk figurines and human headed tags, long triangular beards are the essential identification for male representations. During Early Dynastic times, these beards tend to disappear and are generally replaced by shorter beards, regularly with an almost tubular extension below the chin. The latter is related to the royal beard although the two types can easily be differentiated because the sideboards of the royal beard indicate that it is artificial. A close relationship between the royal false beard and the so-called bull’s head amulet is proposed, allowing to consider the royal false beard as rooted in Predynastic bovine symbolism.