Ancient Egyptian Dwarfs Made the Royal Wardrobe During Pharaoh Khufu's Reign

In case you've ever wondered who was responsible for all those figure-hugging royal garments featured on pharaohs, queens and princesses, cemeteries and individual tombs in Egypt have served up some intriguing clues. Evidence shows that dwarfs had powerful roles in making royal clothing. Excavations of worker's villages and graves give insights into how the common people lived, and what their roles were in relation to the ruling royal families. One of the most intriguing discoveries is the Dwarfs Cemetery. It reveals the esteem the ancient Egyptians had for some of the skilled artisans who created the clothing of the pharaohs and queens.

"Alypius" by Cliff1033tm; CC, some rights reserved

Not all dwarves in ancient Egypt came to a good end. This Ripley's Believe It or Not exhibit depicts Alypius, a 17-inch-tall dwarf of Alexandria imprisoned for treason. Note the wide belt, kilt, decorated cape and cap. The cape looks like it may have been influenced by Roman fashion.



Ancient Egyptian Clothing

Fashion features prominently in cave paintings, statues and small objects. Goddesses in clinging linen gowns adorn common toiletry items and ritual objects. A chair of boy-king Tut's shows an affectionate portrait of Tut and his wife in their royal linen clothing.

For such a long-lasting culture, spanning hundreds of years, Egyptian fashion changed surprisingly little. In the later eras, womens' gowns became a bit more elaborate and mens' kilts became longer. In the early dynasties, kilts were above the knee, and over time men's kilts became much longer. Priests robes were often floor-length.

Toward the end of ancient Egypt's history, under the rule of the Ptolemies, fashions showed a Roman influence. Queen Cleopatra's dresses, hairstyles and jewelry as depicted in paintings and coins show Egyptian and Roman styles.



When we look at garments worn by royal men and women, we're seeing the result of the work of many laborers and skilled artisans including Old Kingdom dwarfs. 

The royal wardrobe, like most ancient Egyptian garments, consisted primarily of linen woven from flax. Farmers cultivated the flax, near the Nile and common people harvested it. Women spun the flax into linen.

And then what?

Dwarfs' Cemetery: Clues to who made the Royal Clothing

Thanks to the excavation of a dwarfs' cemetery near the Great Pyramids we have a greater understanding of the social position and roles of dwarfs. Dwarves often held high positions at court, according to "Ancient Egypt."

A charming and detailed statue in the British museum depicts Seneb, a dwarf, with his regularly-proportioned wife. His two children stand where a taller man's legs would usually be in a statue of a seated subject. Seneb sits cross-legged in a kilt above the small, nude children with his hands clasped in front of his chest. His wife, Senetities, wearing a trim ankle-length gown, embraces him around his shoulders with one hand resting on his nearest arm.

Seneb was a priest who played a role in the funerary practices for the pharaoh Khufu who had the Great Pyramid of Giza built, and he was chief of all the dwarfs who created the royal wardrobe, according to "Ancient Egypt."

From this we get a glimpse of the Old Dynasty -- the lovely linen garments made to drape pharaohs, their wives and princesses were made by dwarfs. The royal wardrobe included women's sheath dresses, gowns with loose sleeves, off-the-shoulder gowns, men's kilts and long robes.

The dwarfs were valued and in some cases had tombs that attest to their high social status. In the Old Kingdom, instead of the sweat shops that supply so much contemporary fashion to the US, we see honored, skilled designers and clothing makers valued in life and buried in tombs with all care to assure them an afterlife.

Copyright Travis Arts 2012, all rights reserved. Updated 1-14-13
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