Women in Ancient Sumer

The most ancient civilization existed thousands of years ago in Sumer which was a collection of city states in Mesopotamia. The position of women in relation to men in Sumerian society varied according to which location in Sumer, at what point in history, and what level of society. As farming became more prevalent, men were more likely to do the heavy farm work (like plowing). Women would process the farm products (like churning milk, grinding grain, and weaving cloth. Although women were usually in a lower position than men, the difference was less in the earliest years than later. Women often sold the goods they made and went to the market place to buy the raw materials they needed to make the goods. The deity for many communities was often a goddess. In later years men engaged in commerce and women stayed home doing housework. Women in the nobility and priestesses could often read and write, but commoners did not. Women wore long tunics, henna make-up, and jewelry.
The bracelet pictured above is a nowadays bracelet hand made by Rose. See Metal Jewelry Shaper and Beadshaper for examples.

Pyramids

A pyramid is a 3 dimensional structure consisting of at least 3 sides in which all the sides are triangles which converge at the top. The greatest and most famous pyramids were built in ancient Egypt between 2600 and 1600 BCE. They were usually tombs for Pharaohs. They were supposed to represent the rays of the sun coming down and a pathway for the Pharaoh to ascend to the Heavens. Many of them were the largest structures built in ancient times. The pyramidal shape allowed for greater height by placing the largest (heaviest) part at the bottom becoming progressively smaller going up so that each level was lighter than the one supporting it below. They required the labor of thousands of workers. The Egyptian pyramids were preceded by the zigurrats of Mesopotamia which had a partially triangular shape although they did not converge in a point at the top. The native people of Mesoamerica (Mexico and adjacent parts of Central America) independently developed a civilization during Pre-Columbian times in which stepped pyramidal buildings played a role (more like ziggurats than Egyptian pyramids).
The pyramidal shaped (actually triangular because it is 2 dimensional) pendant pictured above can be found in the Metal Jewelry Shaper web site.

Parallelogram

A parallelogram is a 2 dimensional box bounded by 2 sets of equal length opposing lines, but the each set is not necessarily the same length as the other set and the angles are not necessarily right angles. If all the angles are right angles, then it is a type of parallelogram called a rectangle. If all 4 sides are equal length, then it is a square. If the angles are definitely not right angles, then the parallelogram is called a rhombus. The pendant pictured above is a rhombus.
The idea of the parallelogram was known to the ancient Greeks (perhaps earlier). The ancient Greek mathematician wrote about it.
You can find the pendant pictured above as well as other jewelry pieces on Metal Jewelry Shaper.
Rose will be teaching an extensive list of exciting classes at the Pasadena Bead and Design Show July 24-27, 2014 in the Pasadena Hilton Hotel at 168 S Los Robles in Pasadena, California. See Jewelry Classes.

Rectangle

A rectangle is a 4 sided shape with 4 corners in which each side is straight and equal to the opposite side (in other words 2 sets of opposing equal sides). It also has 4 right angle corners. Rectangles usually occur naturally in living things which tend to be more round. Occasionally one might find a hard non-living substance like a rock which by chance happens to be rectangular. However, rectangles are usually man made. They have been known to humans since ancient times and were used in architecture because walls of buildings were often rectangular. Also writing tablets were often rectangular.
The ring pictured above is rectangular in shape. See Metal Jewelry Shaper to see jewelry of various shapes.

Mother's Day

Although Mother's Day as it is known in the United States dates back approximately 100 years, ancient polytheistic civilizations honored mothers through the celebration of gods that represented mothers. Isis was the mother goddess of the ancient Egyptians. The Greeks worshipped the mother goddess Rhea. The Romans celebrated Magna Mater (Great Mother). The holidays celebrating Rhea and Magna Mater both occurred in early Spring. Later in Christian Europe holidays developed honoring the "Mother Church." By the 17th Century, this evolved into Mothering Day in England which celebrated mothers. Mothers Day in the U.S.A. began in the early 20th Century through the efforts of a Sunday school teacher named Anna Jarvis after her mother's death. Her efforts resulted in President Woodrow Wilson proclaiming Mother's Day as an official holiday in 1914.

Mother's Day is coming up on Sunday, May 11, 2014. Rose is offering a sale at 30% off on her web site at BEADSHAPER

Triangle

A triangle by definition  is a 2 dimensional geometric figure with 3 corners (angles) and therefore it also has 3 sides. The ancient Egyptians used triangles in designing their pyramids. Some theorums concerning triangles have been attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras who lived in the 6th Century BC although there is some question as to whether Pythagoras himself formulated Pythagorean mathematics or whether it was done later by some of his followers. The triangle is important in the ideas of Euclidean geometry and is the basis for many mathematical formulae. Euclid was a Greek mathematician who lived about 300 years after Pythagoras (in the 3rd Century BC) in Alexandria which was a Hellenized Egyptian city. Persian and Chinese mathematicians wrote about the mathematics of triangles in the Middle Ages. The study greatly advanced in the 17th century with the work of the French mathematician Blaise Pascal.
The Jewish Star of David consists of 2 intertwining triangles. It has been found on some Hebrew artifacts dating back to antiquity, but later around the 17th Century it became a symbol of the Jewish religion.
Triangles have played a prominent role in various designs in jewelry and architecture. In sculpture and paintings, the triangles is more likely to be found more prominently in Modern Art although it might found in a more subtle way in earlier art.
The triangular shaped metal earrings pictured above were handcrafted by the Beadshaper. You can see more of her work at Metal Jewelry Shaper

Oval

The word oval means egg shaped or egg-like in shape. A geometric oval that is shaped with both points at each end equal (as opposed to a real egg in which one end is broader than the other) is called an ellipse.
An oval with a line inside it at one end was used in ancient hieroglyphics to surround the name of the Pharaoh. This oval was inscribed on an amulet that was worn by the Pharaoh. It came to signify good luck and eventually was worn by other people.
In architecture one of the earliest known religious temples was one with an oval floor plan found in Mesopotamia at Khafaja, Iraq which is believed to have existed around 2700 BC. In ancient Rome, amphitheaters were often oval shaped.
As for the oval shape in jewelry and beads, perforated egg shells were used in jewelry in Pre-Historic times. Later with the advent of civilization, ovals were found in jewelry made of various materials.
The oval shaped lampwork glass bead pictured above was handcrafted by the Beadshaper. You can see more of her work at Beadshaper